§ 2.36 p.m.
§ LORD AIREDALEMy 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 have considered the Molony Committee's observation that standard form contracts "which large and sometimes monopolistic organisations devise and require their customers to accept … invariably incorporate clauses which eliminate or reduce what would otherwise be the liability of the party who drafts the provisions; and this is usually liability for negligence"; and whether they propose to put a stop to this practice.]
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD DILHORNE)My Lords, the Molony Committee's observation to which the noble Lord has drawn attention must be read in conjunction with that Committee's conclusion that this problem is one facet of a much wider problem involving the whole question of liability for tort. The Molony Committee did not think it right to make any recommendation concerning 2 one aspect of a large problem, much of which lay outside the Committee's terms of reference, although they considered the whole subject worthy of study. Her Majesty's Government have taken note of this suggestion.
§ LORD AIREDALEMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble and learned Lord for his reply.