Major Lyall Wilkes: I was interested in the contention of the hon. Member for Stretford (Mr. Storey) that we had not applied the money which will go to increasing the basic pension in the most economical way so as to meet the greatest need. It is based upon the supposition that although only 600,000 old age pensioners draw a supplementary pension, those who do not draw it—the vast majority of the...
Major Lyall Wilkes: I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Flint, East (Mrs. White) for moving this Amendment and for inserting in it in concrete terms a suggestion which I made on Second Reading. As I looked at the Bill—my attitude was that it was simply absurd to have the same level of undeducted or untouched earnings in the case of, say, a widowed mother with no children and no responsibilities as...
Major Lyall Wilkes: Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that in the 1930's it was always recognised that to start large-scale industrial projects in the development areas would be very expensive, and that that was why we were left with poultry farms, market gardening and the repairing of typewriters?
Major Lyall Wilkes: If a thoroughly inflationary situation develops, and there are no correct priorities, is it not a fact that, if there should be any chance in the near future of giving to the public any considerable benefit in the way of increased payments of any kind, the highest priority should be given to the sick and the unemployed, and those who are now waiting with anxiety for the repayment of their...
Major Lyall Wilkes: Could my right hon. and learned Friend enlighten the House by telling us why it is necessary for rayon clothing prices to go up and up, while Courtauld's rayon profits increased in 1950 over those of 1949 by no less than £94¼ million? Is it not a fact that if the prices are creeping up the profits of manufacturers and retailers are creeping up as well?
Major Lyall Wilkes: While agreeing, of course, with the necessity for and desirability of maintaining our export trade and, indeed, increasing it, may I ask whether it would not be wise, when requests are made to raise utility prices, to have regard to the profits that are being obtained in other fields?