Orders of the Day — British Sugar (Subsidy) Bill.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 12 July 1935.

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Photo of Dr Christopher Addison Dr Christopher Addison , Swindon

I do not want to misrepresent the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, but if he refers to the report of our last Debate he will see that there was a little interchange between us. We regard the control of retail prices and distribution as an essential part of any system of the organised control of supplies, and we are very glad that this Committee recommended it. Behind our Amendment is a constructive scheme based largely upon the report, which we believe we might be justified in trying for a short time, rather than incurring this serious risk of sudden stoppage. We have no right whatever simply to drift on for another 12 months and allow this drain to continue. We have had a little first-hand experience of profit-making at the expense of the State, but I have never seen a more shameless instance than this, and we have no right to allow it to continue when a body of people, after very careful consideration, have presented practical suggestions as to how the case could be dealt with. I do not know anything about the politics of these gentlemen, with the exception of one, whom I know to be a Conservative. I am not sure about the two others, but certainly they are not Socialists; they are not members of the Labour party. They have been driven by the inexorable logic of the situation to propose a national corporation to control prices and so on, and, in default of the Government taking their courage, if they have any, in their hands, and facing up to the position, it seems to me that the House has no alternative but to vote for our Amendment.