§ Mr. Roebuckasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about his efforts to keep prices stable since 20th July last.
§ Mr. JayMy Department has approached the trade associations in the Board of Trade's field, and also a number of individual firms of special importance, in order to explain the policy of the prices standstill and to ask for their co-operation. A high degree of co-operation has been forthcoming and arrangements have been made which,370W over a wide field, give us advance notice of proposals to increase prices. These are carefully investigated in accordance with the criteria in the White Paper. All complaints, about price increases received from the public are followed up with the firms concerned. The evidence is that the great majority of manufacturers and retailers are complying with the policy set out in the White Paper.