HL Deb 11 July 1962 vol 242 cc241-2

2.45 p.m.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are now in a position to announce the date of publication of the Report on consumer protection submitted by the Molony Committee.]

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD MILLS)

My Lords, my right honourable friend the President of the Board of Trade expects that this Report will be published before Parliament adjourns for the Summer Recess.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, while wishing to be pleasant always to the noble Lord who has answered the Question to-day, might I ask him whether he is aware that it is very difficult to be so in face of that Answer, which I realise is not his fault? Does the noble Lord know that yesterday there was a firm date for this, and could he explain why that is not now the case?

LORD MILLS

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lady for her compliment. I am quite unaware that there was a firm date yesterday for publication of this Report.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that that puts me in rather a quandary, because had I been answered by a lesser luminary on the Front Bench opposite I would have said that I thought that the person answering the Question should have been informed of the background? But I do not wish to be discounteous—I say that most sincerely to the noble Lord. Might I ask him whether he himself would not regard it as quite extraordinary to ask this House to believe that it is not possible to get a firm date for the publication of this Report, when we were told on May 29 and again on June 27 exactly what I have been told to-day? Would the House not agree that, as there are only three weeks remaining before the House rises, it should be possible to give an approximate date within those three weeks, even if it is only an actual week, when this Report might be expected?

LORD MILLS

My Lords, I have a lot of the background before me. I have looked into the position and I cannot agree that it is extraordinary that we cannot give a firm date to-day.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, having one last try, if I may, might I ask, in view of all this, whether it would be possible for the noble Lord to tell me when it would be advisable to put down a Question so that your Lordships might be informed of the actual date of publication?

LORD MILLS

My Lords, I would not do anything to prevent the noble Lady from putting down a Question. This is the third occasion upon which the noble Lady has put down a Question, and there might still be a fourth.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

Yes, but would the noble Lord help me, as well as not preventing me?

LORD MILLS

I will do my best, my Lords.