§ 33. Mr. NellistTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what latest representations he has had on his inspectors' report on the takeover of the House of Fraser; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RedwoodMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a large number of representations from hon. Members and direct from the public expressing a variety of views.
§ Mr. NellistHow is it that crooks and charlatans can get away with things like that takeover while millions of ordinary, decent families in Britain are about to be pushed into a position of illegality because of their inability to pay the poll tax? Why cannot the Secretary of State, with his hands-off laissez-faire attitude towards the Fayed brothers, be transferred back to the Department of the Environment so that he can take the same attitude to the millions of families who cannot pay the poll tax?
§ Mr. RedwoodThe Law Officers and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State have looked carefully into the case and a full statement has been made to the House about it. I have nothing further to add.
§ Mr. DickensIs not it a fact that legislation has now been introduced which will prohibit the same sort of thing happening again? But is it not also a fact that inspectors from the Department of Trade and Industry were appointed under a certain section under which it was not a criminal offence to tell untruths, whereas if they had been appointed under a different section, criminal action could have been taken?
§ Mr. RedwoodI do not think that my hon. Friend is right. He is right in the first part of his question in saying that the Government have recently changed the law to ensure that it is an offence knowingly to mislead the competition authorities, but on his second point I do not think that the issue was whether it was or was not an offence under a particular section.
§ Mr. DalyellWill the Department of Trade undertake to study the remarkable Channel 4 programme on Good Friday evening by John Plender—in particular, the position of Kleinwort Benson and John MacArthur—and consider the whole question of truthfulness at the highest level of commerce? Is lying now all right at that level?
§ Mr. RedwoodMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has heard the hon. Gentleman's remarks. I have nothing to add to the statement that he made to the House on the conduct of the case.
§ Mr. Charles WardleDoes my hon. Friend appreciate that the very brevity of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement last month on the report of the inspectors of the Department of Trade and Industry on the House of Fraser takeover encourages the likes of the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) to make wild allegations? Would not it be far better to give the subject a thorough airing in a full debate in the House?
§ Mr. RedwoodThere will be another opportunity to discuss the matter when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gives evidence to the Select Committee. Indeed, he has already done so. In addition, a statement was made which covered all the main issues that were relevant to my right hon. Friend and the conduct of his Department.
§ Mr. SpeakerI call Mr. Radice. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here."] Mr. McAvoy. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here."] Mr. Jack. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not herel Ms. Short. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here."] Mr. Ingram. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here."] Mr. Steinberg. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here."] Mr. Livsey. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here."] Mr. Maxton. [HON. MEMBERS: "Not here.""] Mr. Alex Carlile.
§ Mr. Alex Carlilerose—