Clause 3. — [General Duty of the Corporation.)

Part of Orders of the Day — Iron and Steel Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 25 July 1949.

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Photo of Mr George Strauss Mr George Strauss , Lambeth North 12:00, 25 July 1949

One or two points have been raised in this discussion which merit an answer. The suggestion seems to have been made by some hon. Members opposite that we are depriving the steel consumers of a valuable right they possess. It is nothing of the sort. No steel consumer is able to go to court on the ground, as many people have thought, that a certain steel producer has given an undue preference to particular commercial friends. He has no right to go to the courts and allege that a particular steel producer is giving somebody else preference and demand damages as a result. There is no right possessed by the steel consumer to go to the courts to get damages from a steel producer from whom he is not getting preference.

The only legitimate complaint there could be is that we are not giving steel consumers rights which they do not possess today to get damages from the Corporation on the ground that they are giving undue preference. On that issue, debate can fairly take place; it is on that issue that the Government believe they are right in saying that it would not only be contrary to precedent but would raise immense difficulties for the courts and the industry if anybody could allege in the courts that a steel producer had given preference in delivery and price and that, therefore, he was entitled to damages.