MINISTRY OF SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 147, 24 June 1939, Page 9

MINISTRY OF SUPPLY

MEASURE PASSED

EMERGENCY PROVISIONS

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received June 24,

RUGBY, June 23,

• The Ministry of Supply Bill passed its third reading in the : House of Commons without division, Mr. A. Greenwood (Labour) having intimated that, despite its "criticism of the Bill's inadequacies; at the earlier stages, the Labour Party would not divide the House against a measure the general purpose of which the Opposition approved. '...■'" .. ; , The Bill was later read a first time in the House of Lords. : \

In the House of Commons, the Minis*ter designate, Mr. E. L. Burgin, explained some arrangements being made under the clause empowering him; to make financial arrangement for holding additional stocks:-of ■ :Vital: commodities by the producers or manufacturers. The Government's anxiety .was to see that stocks were available in order to avoid laying a strain' on the convoy system and the country's importing capacity in the event of war.

The majority of transactions under this clause would relate to the accumulation of additional' reserves of \ raw material, at works and factories. Those stocks, in the event of an emergency* would at aE times be subject to price control and Government requisition.

Arrangements were being made with a firm producing a certain metal in stocks here*orather. than in the country of origin. Arrangements had also been considered for ■•, the storage of a certain kind of raw material for fertilisers, stocks of which varied, considerably with the seasons.