HC Deb 26 July 1949 vol 467 cc106-7W
63. Mr. Erroll

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the Report of the Resale Price Maintenance Committee indicates that a large number of the organisations who gave evidence before that body were opposed to the recommendations made in that Report, he will take steps to publish such evidence at an early date.

65. Sir W. Wakefield

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the Resale Price Maintenance Committee reported that evidence obtained from women's organisations revealed a preference by consumers for guaranteed products sold at fixed prices, he will arrange to publish in full the evidence of these organisations before any final decisions are reached about the implementation of the Committee's proposals.

Mr. J. Edwards

The Report of the Resale Price Maintenance Committee described the evidence they received. I do not think that publication of the evidence in full is necessary to enable traders to give the consideration to the Report which was suggested by my right hon. Friend in his statement on 2nd June, in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Elland (Mr. Cobb).

66. Sir P. Macdonald

asked the President of the Board of Trade what inquiries he made, before deciding to adopt the recommendations of the Resale Price Maintenance Committee, to ascertain whether such action will enable multiple traders to offer greater inducements to the public in the form of cut prices or dividends than co-operative societies are at present able to do.

Mr. J. Edwards

None.

69. Sir T. Moore

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of his appeal for efficiency and economy in the distributive trades, he will give further consideration to the loss of efficiency which will result to producers in enforcing the price maintenance of their goods if the system of collective enforcement of resale price maintenance is abolished as advocated in the Report of the Resale Price Maintenance Committee.

Mr. J. Edwards

No. I see no reason to believe that the abolition of collective resale price maintenance and the consequential increase in competition between traders would lead to loss of efficiency.