§ 2. Mr. Awberyasked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to provide that in cases of persons prosecuted for failure to maintain payments on hire-purchased goods, proof that undue pressure was used to influence them to purchase the goods shall be held to be an extenuating circumstance.
The Solicitor-GeneralI understand that the hon. Member's Question refers to civil proceedings. Pressure short of duress is not of itself a ground for avoiding a contract and it would not be right to make an exception in the case of hire-purchase agreements. The Government do not therefore propose to introduce legislation on this subject.