Lieut.-Colonel THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the mineral water manufacturers resent, as prejudicial to their sales, the profiteering which takes place by some retailers in respect to this class of goods; and whether he will schedule mineral waters under the Act and at the same time invite the manufacturers' association to appoint a representative on the Profiteering Act Committee?
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§ Sir A. GEDDESRepresentations to the effect indicated in the first part of the question have been brought to my notice, and the question of applying the Profiteering Act to mineral waters is under consideration. In answer to the last part of the question, I shall be prepared to consider favourably any request that the mineral water manufacturers may make for representation on the Central Committee.
Lieut.-Colonel THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will at once schedule under the Profiteering Act all articles that were controlled and since have been decontrolled, including margarine and tea; and, with respect to the latter, if he will define that it should apply not only to tea sold by weight and as supplied by hotels and restaurants?
§ Sir A. GEDDESIt is intended, unless there are special reasons to the contrary, that the Profiteering Act shall be applied to controlled articles when they cease to be otherwise controlled. Margarine is controlled by the Ministry of Food. The Profiteering Act has not been applied to tea, as the trade is supervised by the Ministry of Food. As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, under the Profiteering Act the powers of the Board of Trade in relation to articles of food and drink are exercised in agreement with the Food Controller.
Lieut.-Colonel THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade on what grounds he decided that where an element of service entered into the supply of a commodity the profiteering did not apply; whether the Preamble to the Act refers to prices yielding an unreasonable profit to the persons engaged in the production, handling, or distribution of articles; whether such a definition by use of the word "handling" expressly covers service; and whether, if it be held to exclude service, it is possible to convict anyone, in view of the fact that every act of sale is an act also of service and is so recognised in common parlance and phraseology
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe Act applies to the sale or offer for sale of goods scheduled by the Board of Trade and profits made in the production, handling, and distribution of these goods. It does not apply to such services as cleaning and pressing clothes. There are many intermediate cases in which the ultimate decision must rest with the Courts. At present I am considering the desirability of preparing a Bill to amend and enlarge the scope of the Act.