Major BARNESasked the President of the Board of Trade what were the terms of reference of the Committeee appointed by the Central Profiteering Committee to inquire into the effects on prices and 62W profits of dye products of the action of the British Dye Stuffs Corporation; who were the members appointed by the central committee; what other members and proposed to he appointed; what are now the proposed terms of reference; what was the date on which the Central Profiteering Committee appointed the committee of investigation; and if he can now say on what date the committee will meet?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANOn the 2nd December last the Standing Committee on Trusts of the Central Committee under the Profiteering Act proposed that a subcommittee should be appointed to investigate dye-stuffs with the following terms of reference: "to ascertain to what extent supplies and prices of dyes and dye-stuffs are controlled or affected by the British Dye-Stuffs Corporation, Limited., While the names of certain gentlemen were discussed in connection with the proposal to appoint a sub-committee, I understand that no appointment of members of the sub-committee was actually made by the Standing Committee on Trusts, and as a result of further consideration of the matter it is proposed to extend the terms of reference to read as follows:—" To investigate the position with regard to dye-stuffs and to ascertain whether any trust or trade combination exists, and if so, its effect on supplies and prices." The Standing Committee on Trusts propose that the following members of the Central Committee should be invited to serve on the sub-committee:—Mr. Ben Turner, Mr. A. W. Flux, Mr. Arthur Greenwood, Mr. John Hilton, and Mr. T. B. Johnston; and the Board of Trade propose to invite the hon. and gallant Member and Sir Alexander king to serve on the sub-committee. It is hoped that the committee will meet at an early date.