§ Brigadier-General SPEARSasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his Department has taken steps to insure a discontinuance of the illegal and dishonest practices of certain salesmen referred to in the Report of Lord Linlithgow's Committee; and, if not, will he consider the introduction of legislation to increase the penalties for such offences?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe practices referred to in the hon. and gallant Member's question are mainly such as to give the grower a right to take civil proceedings, and do not constitute any offence for which a prosecution could be instituted. The remedy for these practices, therefore, seems to lie with the grower who, when he considers he has ground for complaint, should take action either on his own account, or through a representative association. As I am at present advised, legislation to deal with such practices does not appear to me to be necessary.