Orders of the Day — Agricultural Marketing Acts.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 26 Gorffennaf 1935.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Herbert Williams Mr Herbert Williams , Croydon South

I am one of those who until half-an-hour ago had never voted on any aspect of the agricultural marketing schemes. I do not like this scheme, I have never liked it and I do not think I am ever likely to like it. If I had the power to amend this proposal I would substitute for the Development control board, or whatever it is called, the Control Board in Victoria Street which deals with lunatics, because I think that would be an admirable body to deal with a scheme of this kind. This is one of the first definite occasions that this House has been faced with the fact that we are seeking to make an industry a closed industry. This scheme contains fundamentally, except that it is ad hoc instead of general, the sort of proposal advocated in this House by the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Macmillan). I do not believe that the prosperity of this country in the past was built up on the principle of saying: "You shall not enter this industry unless somebody already in it gives permission." This is going to be one of the challenging issues of our politics in the future. I am definitely opposed to these schemes of control. If I were a Socialist I should vote for all of them, because it is going to put the Socialists in a very convenient position later on to take over the controlled industry and turn it into a purely socialised industry.

This scheme does not meet with any undue enthusiasm among those for whom it is intended. I put on the Order Paper to-day three questions to the Minister of Agriculture. Friday is not a usual day for answers, but the Minister was good enough to send me written answers, and I find that in this country there are 145,185 registered producers of pigs, of whom 63 voted in favour of the scheme and 16 against. Sixty-three, not 63,000! That is democracy up to date.