§ Q2. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister if the public speech made on 24th October by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the Advertising Association on the interests of the consumer represented official Government policy.
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes the Prime Minister recollect that the Minister concerned said in that speech that the Government planned to seek out the hit-and-run supplier and to penalise him? How does the housewife who is shopping around meet the hit-and-run supplier? What steps are being put to the House to make sure that the Government do not go back on their pledge to keep prices down by competition and the shopping around concept?
§ The Prime MinisterWe announced a number of measures in the Gracious Speech to deal with aspects of consumer protection. The major one is the Bill on consumer protection and fair trading. The Supply of Goods (Implied Terms) Bill, for which hon. Members in all parts of the House have pressed over the years, has already been introduced in the other place. In addition, we have announced the Insurance Companies Bill to deal with the particular problems of that industry, and again, hon. Members have pressed for such a Bill.