§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade why the members of the Profiteering Act Central Committee were not supplied with copies of the Standing Orders and Regulations under the Act, especially the Order having relation to the appointment by the Central Committee of its Standing Committees; is he aware that in consequence the appointment of the Standing Committees has been conducted under conditions of irregularity which may be challenged in any Court of Law; and whether he will at once call a meeting of the 140 members of the Central Committee under the Profiteering Act to approve or otherwise of the Standing Committees appointed under the Act?
§ Sir A. GEDDESIn answer to the first part of the question, I may inform the hon. and gallant Member that copies of the Profiteering Act and of the Board of Trade Regulations for the Central Committee were circulated to each member of the Central Committee on the 25th September, 1919. As regards the remainder of the question, I am unable to admit that there was any irregularity in the appointment of the Standing Committees, and I therefore do not propose to take the action suggested in the last part of the question.