§ 111. Mr. Hoyasked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production whether he is now able to make a further statement in connection with the endeavours of Mr. Clarricoats, the secretary of the Radio Society of Great Britain, to purchase surplus wireless equipment.
§ Mr. WilmotMr. Clarricoats approached my Department with a suggestion that the individual members of the Radio Society of Great Britain should be given the opportunity of purchasing radio surpluses. As the society had itself no powers to buy or sell and as it was not practicable to set up special machinery within the Department for retail sales, it was suggested to Mr. Clarricoats that he should get into touch with the Radio Industry Council with a view to discussing supply to his members through trade channels.
Mr. Clarricoats sent my Department a copy of his letter dated 14th December to the council which did no more than indicate his opinion as to the radio sets in which his members would be interested and the prices they might be willing to pay. He did not then represent himself to my Department as a buyer or make an offer. Having failed to make a satisfactory arrangement with the council, Mr. Clarricoats wrote to my Department on 28th February inquiring whether arrangements could be made for various representative members of his society to buy on behalf of members in their districts. I have, however, decided after careful consideration that generally it is preferable that the needs of radio amateurs 18W should continue to be met through trade channels
In the meantime, surplus radio sets and components have been sold to the trade by competitive tender and further such sales will be made. It was in an endeavour to help Mr. Clarricoats that my Department put the Champion Electric Corporation in touch with him as they had purchased by competitive fender a number of sets of the types in which we knew he was interested.