HC Deb 30 November 1939 vol 355 cc287-90W
Major Carver

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will give an assurance that action will be taken to ensure that no local food control committees' trade members who are personally interested in any decision whether affecting the granting of a licence or otherwise, are permitted to vote as well as speak in view of the provisions of the Local Government Act of 1933?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

At the beginning of November the staff employed by the Ministry of Food was as follows: —

Mr. W. S. Morrison

A food control committee is not a committee of the local authority and consequently the Local Government Act, 1933, has no application to it. There is no provision in the Food Control Committees (Constitution) Order, 1939, for any member to be debarred from discussing or voting upon any business of the committee. Provision is made in the Order for the inclusion of trade members on these committees as repre- sentatives of all food traders in the area and I see no reason to prevent a trade member from taking part in a decision affecting the interests of the trade which he represents. Such a disqualification would restrict the value of trade representation.

Mr. R. Gibson

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what powers and duties he has conferred on food control committees generally and, in particular, on t le Greenock Food Control Committee, under the authority conferred on him by the Food Control Committees (Constitution) Order, 1939, paragraph 12?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

The powers and duties which have so far been expressly conferred or imposed on food control committees are those set out in:

  • The Food Control Committees (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Enforcement Order, 1939,
  • The Food Control Committees (Local Distribution) Order, 1939,
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  • The Food Control Committees (Registration of Establishments) Order, 1939,
of which I am sending copies to the hon. Member.

The first mentioned Order confers on food control committees the power to prosecute summary offences against Orders of the Minister scheduled to that Order and other Orders subsequently to be made by the Minister except such Orders as he may from time to time except from this provision. This power does not apply to Scotland and has not therefore been conferred upon the Greenock Food Control Committee.

The other two Orders relate respectively to the powers and duties of a food control committee to license retailers and to register catering establishments, institutions and residential establishments and are applicable to all food control committees in the United Kingdom.