UNREASONABLE WITHHOLDING OF FOODSTUFFS BILL. (Hansard, 10 August 1914)

§ THE EARL OF GRANARD

My Lords, the object of this Bill is to give power to the Board of Trade to requisition foodstuffs where the Board have reason to believe that they are being unreasonably withheld. There have been, I am sorry to say, a few cases of rich people and one or two cases of clubs offending in this matter, but, generally speaking, I am glad to say that not very much has been done in this direction. The President of the Board of Trade has been in communication with the great wholesale and retail merchants in this country and has received from them the greatest help throughout; and our thanks are due to 482 these large firms for what they have done to prevent the public having to pay unduly high prices for their food. The provision in the Bill follows very clearly the naval and military precedent. I do not think it will be necessary to put the Bill, when it is an Act, very often into operation; yet I am sure your Lordships will agree that this is a power which the Board of Trade should possess in cases of necessity. The Bill consists of one clause, which I will read to your Lordships— if the Board of Trade are of opinion that any foodstuff is being unreasonably withheld from the market they may, if so authorised by His Majesty's Proclamation, generally or as respects any particular kind of foodstuff and in manner provided by the Proclamation, take possession of any supplies of foodstuffs to which the Proclamation relates, paying to the owners of the supplies such prices as may in default of agreement be decided to be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the case, by the arbitration of a Judge of the High Court, selected by the Lord Chief Justice of England. The Act is only to have effect while a state of war exists between His Majesty and any foreign Power. I move that the Bill be read a first time, and, if your Lordships agree, I shall hope that it may be passed through its remaining stages forthwith.