§ 1. Mr. Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what proposals she has for setting up an appeals procedure to deal with matters arising from decisions taken by the Price Commission; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (Mr. Robert Maclennan)There is no scope for this under the Counter-Inflation Act 1973.
§ Mr. HollandDoes not the Minister agree, on the basis of experience of the working of the 1963 Act, that when a decision of the Price Commission 2 threatens a whole operation with consequential redundancies there should be a facility for appeal for a modification of that decision before it is finalised?
§ Mr. MaclennanThere are provisions which allow the Price Commission to consider the relaxation of the provisions of the Price Code in certain exceptional circumstances. The hon. Gentleman and I have had an exchange of correspondence about this matter. I understand that he has a firm in mind which is seeking to make a case under paragraph 76 of the code for exceptional treatment. That case is being considered with all possible speed.
§ Mr. Giles ShawMay I remind the Minister that we have raised the question of an appeals procedure before—I think in the debate on the Remuneration Charges and Grants Act? Should there be more cases of difficulty, particularly involving companies in Category 3, which do not normally have the major procedures of inspection applied to them, will the Minister examine them equally carefully?
§ Mr. MaclennanThat would need to be considered in the context of any new legislation which the Government had in mind.