Consumer Council (Hansard, 20 December 1962)

§ 6. Mr. Owen
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now state the composition and terms of reference of the proposed Consumer Council.

§ 21. Mr. Darling
asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to announce the terms of reference, financial arrangements and composition of the proposed Consumer Council.

§ Mr. Erroll
As I said in the debate on the Second Reading of the Weights and Measures Bill, I am pressing on with this 'matter as rapidly as possible. I shall make an announcement as soon as I can.

§ Mr. Owen
The right hon. Gentleman says that he is pressing on with this "as rapidly as possible", but almost three months have gone by since the initial announcement was made. If we are to make effective progress in providing consumer protection, the establishment of this Council is urgently necessary.

§ Mr. Erroll
I fully agree with the hon. Gentleman about the importance of this 1418 Council, and, because I regard it as a very important body, I want to be quite certain that we obtain the services of the right people for it.

§ Mr. Darling
If it is true that the right hon. Gentleman is consulting all kinds of trade associations to make sure that he gets what he wants, namely, the right kind of Council, why is not he consulting this House about the composition of the Council, its terms of reference, and so on? Surely we have a right to be consulted before this body is set up?

§ Mr. Erroll
An opportunity to discuss the matter was provided on the Second Reading of the Weights and Measures Bill.

§ Mr. Darling
No.

§ Mr. Erroll
If the House as a whole wishes to have a debate on the subject, that can always be discussed through the usual channels. If individual Members —here I think I am following the general practice—have any ideas or suggestions about people suitable for consideration for appointment to the Council, I will be glad to receive them.

§ Mr. Darling
That is not the point. It is true that the right hon. Gentleman made a statement on the Second Reading of the Weights and Measures Bill, but we could not discuss the matter then. Since then we have asked him to help us to arrange a debate through the usual channels, not so much on the composition but on the terms of reference of the Council. As the Weights and Measures Bill provides that the Council shall be the advisory body to the Board of Trade on weights and measures, surely that point should also be discussed by the House before the right hon. Gentleman makes a move?

§ Mr. Erroll
If I go on considering so many things, I shall be in trouble with the hon. Member for Morpeth (Mr. Owen) for taking such a long time. It was stated in advance of the Second Reading debate that it would be in order to refer to the Consumer Council in it, and I think that other hon. Members besides myself did so.