HL Deb 26 July 1962 vol 242 cc1118-9

3.12 p.m.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

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

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will now state the date of publication of the Molony Report on Consumer Protection.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (EARL JELLICOE)

My Lords, it will not have escaped the noble Lady's attention that the final Report of the Molony Committee on Consumer Protection was published yesterday. I should like to take this opportunity of expressing the Government's gratitude to the Chairman and the members of this distinguished Committee for their valuable Report.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, while the noble Earl will be aware that I left my Question on the Order Paper quite deliberately, might I ask him whether he realises that I did so because I was under the assumption that I should be given some indication as to when it would be advisable to put down, I think, my fifth Question. Could the noble Earl tell me what went wrong?

EARL JELLICOE

I had surmised that the noble Lady had left her Question on the Order Paper quite deliberately. I think the position, as I understand it, was as follows: as soon as the exact date on which the Commission's Report was going to be published was known, it was decided that it was advisable to inform Parliament. This happened to be a Friday when this House was not, in its wisdom, sitting. But I understand that my right honourable friend the President of the Board of Trade took immediate steps to bring the date and fact of publication to the noble Lady's attention.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

That is quite right; I have no wish to labour the point. As the noble Lord will realise, it was too late for me to put down my Question. Might I ask the noble Lord whether he realises with what fascination I would sit in the other place to-day, watching to see how electorally attractive the Government nave found my clothes? I nope they will borrow a lot.

EARL JELLICOE

I quite appreciate that, but I am sure the noble Lady will not wish me to anticipate any statement which may, or may not, be made in another place.

LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETH

My Lords, I think this was the case where I asked the noble Lord then in charge of this business—whether it was the same noble Lord or another I cannot remember, because there have been rather extensive Government changes—that my noble friend should be told when she could put her Question down in time to get the Government to say when this Report would be published. It rather sounds as if that has not been kept, and if my noble friend was not told in time to put the Question down for the appropriate day, I feel that she has been let down a little bit.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I have endeavoured to explain the position that occurred, and I think the noble Lady said—and it was her Question—she did not wish to labour the point.

LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETH

It was my supplementary.