Clause 8. — (Orders Empowering Authority to Deal in Home-Grown Cereals.)

Part of Orders of the Day — Cereals Marketing Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 9 March 1965.

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Photo of Mr Eldon Griffiths Mr Eldon Griffiths , Bury St Edmunds 12:00, 9 March 1965

I have a reasonable attitude to the Bill because I believe that I was the only Suffolk Member who did not serve on the Committee. I have this distinction because at that time I was serving on the Committee considering the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Bill. Now that I have been released from those duties, I feel it right, as a Member representing a very considerable cereals growing constituency, to make one or two comments on the Amendment.

The Minister said that he is a reasonable man. I say at once that his tone and words have been very reasonable indeed. I was, however, struck by his use of the words "dictation", "shackle", and "veto". As a reasonable man, I cannot see how the Amendment adds up to dictation by the trade to the Authority, or that it shackles the Authority, or that it involves the question of a veto. I am sure that the Minister, as a reasonable man, would agree with me on that.

It is, however, the Minister's logic which surprises me. Having said that the Amendment would build in dictation to the Authority's organisation and would shackle it, he went on to say to hon. Members on this side, "You need not worry, because the trade is on the Authority anyway". We are asked, "If members of the trade on the Authority are treated as reasonable men, why should not they be treated as reasonable and co-operative when they are off the Authority?" All that the Amendment seeks to do is to ensure that the Authority consults and reaches agreement with the trade.

The Minister's answer is, "The trade is already on the Authority". I suggest that there cannot be any reason for disagreeing with the Amendment from a reasonable point of view because, as we all know perfectly well, the Authority cannot work without the agreement of the trade. All the Amendment seeks to do is to assert what we all know to be a fact—that there must be agreement between the trade and the Authority if it is to work. As, I hope, a reasonable man, I cannot see what the Minister has against the Amendment. There are no shackles and there is no dictation here. I ask the Minister, with humility, to think once again.