Mr. A. M.SAMUELasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to a statement by the Electric Lamp Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain, respecting the Report made by the Committee which investigated the electric lamp industry, and particularly to the explanations given by the association in respect of the sale of 1,250,000 half-watt lamps, which were reported by the Committee to have been purchased in Holland by three associated 2254W manufacturers at 3s. each and sold to the public in 1919 at 12s. 6d. each; and whether he can make any statement with regard to this matter?
§ Sir R. HORNEYes, Sir. I have consulted the Committee on the subject, and I understand that the evidence upon which they founded their statements regarding the sale of the 1,250,000 half-watt lamps was the evidence of the Association itself. In their findings the Committee state that "importers and distributors between them made profits on these lamps of something like £280,000 over and above what would appear to us reasonable." In view of the new information furnished by the Association since the findings and decisions of the Committee were published, which indicates that the lamps referred to were sold not to the public but to Government Departments, controlled factories, shipyards, etc., at a price of about 8s. 3d. each, I understand that the Committee now wish this passage to read as follows: "The importers of these lamps made profits of something like £140,000 over and above what would appear to us reasonable."