HC Deb 16 December 1965 vol 722 cc1457-8
Q6. Mr. Biffen

asked the Prime Minister what arrangements have been made to allocate responsibilities between the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Technology for dealing with price increases of goods and services listed in Appendix A of Command Paper No. 2707 which are produced by the mechanical and electrical engineering industries.

Mr. George Brown

I have been asked to reply.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 7th December by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology to a Question by the hon. Member for Harrow, Central (Mr. Grant).

Mr. Biffen

As it is apparent from that Answer that price increases for electric fires should be referred to the Minister of Technology whereas price increases for electric cookers still remain for the Board of Trade, can the right hon. Gentleman tell us on what principle the division was made in these cases?

Mr. Brown

There are always boundary divisions in every business of which hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite are directors. They manage to get out of the difficulty and they may be quite sure that so shall we.