🗣️ Speeches and Debates

• Orders of the Day — Clause 1. — (Power to make regulations as to Foodstuffs.) 6 Oct 1931

  I should like these words to come out, because they limit the powers of the President of the Board of Trade. I am very anxious to give him all the powers I possibly can to deal with what I am convinced is going to be a very serious situation, but these words limit the position. They say that no action can be taken by the Board of Trade unless there is exploitation. What is meant by that? Is a...

• Orders of the Day — Clause 1. — (Power to make regulations as to Foodstuffs.) 6 Oct 1931

  I beg to move, in page 2, line 7, to leave out paragraph (b). My purpose in moving this Amendment is to get some explanation from the President of the Board of Trade as to the scope of the paragraph. The paragraph seems rather dreadful. It provides for trials, confiscations and other things. If, as the President of the Board of Trade says, the difficulty can be got over by merely making...

• Orders of the Day — Foodstuffs (Prevention of Exploitation) Bill. 5 Oct 1931

  The President of the Board of Trade, when introducing the Bill, reminded me of one of the most important persons in a modern store. He is immaculately dressed, he has a suave manner, and he has gentle flourishes. The most important person in a modern store is the window-dresser, and the right hon. Gentleman reminded me every bit of a window-dresser. During the course of the Consumers' Council...

• Orders of the Day — Foodstuffs (Prevention of Exploitation) Bill. 5 Oct 1931

  Exactly, just as during the War the traders waited upon the Board of Trade—I was in close touch with the matter at that time—and they said, "This is what we usually charge as our percentage, in the case of a draper 33⅓ per cent., and that is what our profit is, and all that we shall continue to do will be to charge 33⅓ per cent." With every rise in the wholesale price, his profit upon...

• Orders of the Day — Foodstuffs (Prevention of Exploitation) Bill. 5 Oct 1931

  She knew what was inevitable, namely, that prices were bound to go up. The right hon. Gentleman knows very well that prices are bound to go up, and this Bill is a piece of window-dressing, of camouflage, so that he can go to the electors presently and say, "We are protecting you against any unnecessary increase of prices." Not a word will be said about the inevitable rise of prices because of...

• Orders of the Day — Foodstuffs (Prevention of Exploitation) Bill. 5 Oct 1931

  Then we go back to the Gold Standard?

• Oral Answers to Questions — Criminal Convictions (Free Pardons). 1 Oct 1931

  Has the right hon. Gentleman got a free pardon from the right hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs (Mr. Lloyd George)?

• Oral Answers to Questions — Transport.: Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel. 30 Sep 1931

  Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this tunnel was agreed to in 1924—seven years ago?

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