§ Sir H. NIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the draft of the Profiteering Bill, down for Second Reading this day, had before its introduction been referred or submitted to the Profiteering Act Department or the central committee or/and each of the subcommittee of such department, viz., the committee on trusts, the complaints committee, and the prices committee, for their observations and report; and, if not, why has the practical experience of such committees not been sought with a view to the making of fresh legislation as effective as possible?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe Profiteering (Amendment) Bill itself was not submitted to the Central Committee before its introduction to Parliament; the Board of Trade had, however, been in very close touch with the central committee concerning the amendment of the Profiteering Act, and in the month of February received from the central committee a number of amendments suggested by a special committee, appointed by the central committee to consider the1268W amendment of the Profiteering Act. Effect has been given in the Bill to many of the amendments suggested by the central committee.