I do not wish to keep the House very long at this stage, but it is important in a Bill like this to deal with one or two points arising out of what is in the Bill itself and the objects of the Bill. This measure was welcomed from all sides of the House and any criticisms that were made or any points that arose in debate had no Party flavour of any kind. Any criticisms that arose were intended to be constructive to enable the Bill to work and to make it a success. I feel the Minister, when he was replying on the Second Stage of the Bill, gave expression to some ideas which, if they are not answered, might result in this Bill not having the desired effect. The Minister made it clear that he was very much behind this Bill and said that he would like to see standard marks in much greater use than they are at present.
A very important factor in the attainment of that object was dismissed very lightly by the Minister. We are supposed to be a vocational House, and I think we are, to a degree, vocational, as most of us have some specialised knowledge in some particular vocation. It is a little irritating from time to time when a Minister comes in and will not listen to people who have expert knowledge, from dealing with certain things every day, and who know more about them than the Minister does. I must pay a tribute to the Minister. He has himself an astonishing general knowledge and shows that knowledge on an astonishing number of occasions and on quite an astonishing number of Bills, but at the same time there are many points in particular vocations with which he is not really expertly conversant.
If standard marks are to be the success we would like them to be the atmosphere in which these goods are going to be sold is very important. When the Minister was speaking he showed a confusion of thought as between price maintenance and price rings. I feel that an understanding of this is absolutely essential if this Bill is to be properly carried out. Too much Government control or the wrong kind of Government control can completely stifle this and prevent people applying for marks. I would like briefly to explain the difference between price maintenance and price control.