§ Mr. RATCLIFFEasked the Food Controller on what grounds the co-operative societies are represented on the Consumers' Council, seeing that they are retailers to the general public as well as to their own members, they have also been repeatedly fined for profiteering, and evade the payment of legitimate taxation of the country, whilst other retailers are excluded from that council, and have equal or greater claims than the co-operators, who are now a political body?
§ Mr. McCURDYThe Council in question was constituted in order that the interests of the consumer might be fully represented and safeguarded. With this end in view organisations such as the trade unions and co-operative societies were asked to appoint representatives; and representatives of unorganised classes of consumer were afterwards added by the Food Controller. It is not as traders, but as representatives of consumers, that the co-operative societies, which represent the 1137W largest body of organised consumers in the country, are included in the Council. It would manifestly not be proper to appoint to an advisory body representing the consumer representatives of retailers as such. They are, as a matter of fact, already fully represented on the various advisory committees attached to the Ministry.