Orders of the Day — Restrictive Trade Practices Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 6 March 1956.

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Photo of Mr Douglas Jay Mr Douglas Jay , Battersea North 12:00, 6 March 1956

I have told the right hon. Gentleman several times. We think that prohibition should occur at a definite date laid down in the Bill, but we do not say that these practices should therefore be made criminal offences. It is perfectly possible that the injunction procedure could be used, and my hon. and learned Friend will develop that argument later this evening. That is not the point which at that moment I was discussing. I was saying to the President that it is no answer to the argument that this procedure may make for the growth of monopolies to say that the Commission itself will deal with monopolies in single firms.

I ask the President, what is the Commission to do? I think that the case of the Report on the match industry showed that really there are only two things that this Commission can do when it is confronted with a virtual monopoly or complete monopoly. One is to advocate price control and the other to advocate public ownership; and I am afraid that the party opposite—as its inaction over the match industry Report showed—is doctrinally inhibited from adopting either of those remedies.

Therefore, I draw this final conclusion: that if this Bill is the best which the champions of competitive enterprise can do to make it competitive, and give the consumer a fair deal, then a lot of people will be convinced, on the Government's own showing, that there is a very strong case for further advances in this country towards public ownership.