Clause 29. — (Activities in Second Schedule Not to Be Carried on Except Under Licence.)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 May 1949.

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Photo of Mr George Strauss Mr George Strauss , Lambeth North 12:00, 2 May 1949

The hon. Member is mistaken. The object of paragraph (c) is to prevent a firm from profiteering in times of shortage and selling their goods at well above the price at which the Corporation are selling them because, say, of a temporary shortage, thereby doing damage to certain consumers. This condition is inserted so that, in those circumstances, the firm can be told that they must sell their products to the Corporation at the Corporation's price, not in order to damage the firm, but to prevent profiteering. When that matter was explained during the Committee stage, it was suggested by the Opposition that those words went far too wide, and that under them all sorts of things could be done. I said that I did not think that was so, but that if any better words were submitted by hon. Members opposite, I would consider them. But no alternative words were submitted. I think that the existing words cover the situation very well. They are inserted for the purpose I have indicated, and not for the purpose which the hon. Member has in mind.