§ Mr. Parkerasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the organisation of large scale industry in the British zone.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been asked to reply. As has already been stated it is the intention of His Majesty's Government that the coal, iron and steel, heavy engineering and chemical industries in the British zone should be placed under public ownership. As a preliminary measure the coal mines and iron and steel plants have already been taken under the control of the British Commander in Chief and steps have been taken to sever the major steel producing undertakings from the large industrial combines which owned46W and controlled them. The heavy engineering and chemical industries have not been placed under the Commander in Chief's control but, with other large scale privately owned industries, they are subject to the decartelisation law which aims at the destruction of undue accumulations of economic power.