§ 29. Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to introduce legislation for consumer protection on the lines of the Protection of Consumers (Trade Descriptions) Bill introduced in the last Parliament.
§ Mr. JayI have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Palmer) on 2nd May.—[Vol. 727, col. 78.]
§ Mr. OsbornThe right hon. Gentleman has given this reply on more than one occasion since then. The Bill was published at the beginning of the year. Is it not now time that he gave this matter priority?
§ Mr. JayI am anxious to introduce this Bill as soon as possible, but Parliamentary time depends on the Opposition as well as the Government. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will urge his own Chief Whip to co-operate through the usual channels in finding more time for this kind of thing.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this was one of the Bills in the Queen's Speech in November, 1965, which the Prime Minister, in the Debate on the Address, said had a higher priority than the Steel Bill? Will he recognise that some of us think that he could create a situation in which it could still have a higher priority?
§ Mr. JayYes, and I am sure that, when it is introduced, it will have the hon. Gentleman's support.