asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce (a) whether he is aware of the practice followed by firms trading in motor accessories, as well as in other trades, of adding a sum on account of import duty to the retail catalogue price of goods instead of the amount actually paid ad valorem; (b) and whether he will consider the advisability of preventing this method of over-charging the public, by requiring traders to state plainly, under penalty, on the invoice or otherwise, how much of the retail price is accounted for by the import duty.

I do not feel able to accept the view that retailers are necessarily under an obligation to the public to fix retail prices according to any general rule. The imposition of any such rule by law would involve direct State intervention in the conduct of business which, even if it were desirable in itself, would be of doubtful effectiveness. These considerations apply as much to retailers of tariffed articles as to any others, though I recognise that an exception might under certain circumstances have to be made in the case of retailers of some essential articles of food.

Arising out of the answer which the Minister has given, is it not a fact that the trading community are required to pay hard cash in advance before the goods subject to duty are actually received? If so, should the cash advanced not bear a reasonable rate of interest which should be represented in the price?

That is a separate question.

A separate question which has a lot to be said for it.