§ 7. Miss Lestorasked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for ensuring that promissory agreements issued by finance companies are not connected with unrelated trade agreements.
§ Mr. DellThe extent to which finance companies should be responsible for the performance and quality of goods purchased with the money they lend is one of the matters being considered by the Crowther Committee. I see no justification for taking action in advance of its report.
§ Miss LestorMay I assure my hon. Friend that I am delighted that he was able to give such a clear answer, because when I handed in the Question, although 1414 it may have been ungrammatical, it was understandable but the way in which it has been formulated is confusing? I agree with what my hon. Friend has said. In the interim period, however, is it not possible to give maximum publicity to the fact that this sort of agreement is still being made, that goods are being sold on the doorstep and that people are being given the impression that finance companies are financing the goods when it is done by private loan?
§ Mr. DellI congratulate my hon. Friend on what she has done to give publicity in this matter. I am also glad to know that a number of finance houses and oil companies have reviewed lists of approved dealers in connection with central heating applications, with which my hon. Friend has been particularly concerned.