Will the Minister explain the sanctions referred to in sub-section (2) ?
SECTION 107.
(1) The Board may, with the consent of the Minister and subject to compliance with such conditions as the Minister thinks fit, engage in the business of producing bacon, and do all things necessary for crrying on such business.
(2) The Control of Manufactures Acts, 1932 and 1934, shall not apply in respect of any act or thing done by the Board under this section.
Minister for Agriculture
I cannot imagine that the Control of Manufactures Acts could possibly be contravened, and it is to relieve the Board of having to make inquiries of the Minister for Industry and Commerce that this is inserted. I think that under all these Acts you will find that where anybody has to apply for a licence from one Minister he is relieved of having to apply to another Minister in the same connection. Under a recent Act it was held that the Minister for Agriculture ought to look after the interests of the other Ministers concerned.
The Control of Manufactures Acts of 1932 and 1934 were pretty comprehensive measures.
Minister for Agriculture
Yes, and I think the idea is that the Minister for Agriculture, considering applications for the manufacture of bacon, is supposed to keep in mind the interests of other Ministers which may be affected.
Sub-section (1) of the Section states: " The Board may, with the consent of the Minister and subject to compliance with such conditions as the Minister thinks fit, engage in the business of producing bacon and do all things necessary for carrying on such business." I would like to know what are the circumstances that would drive the Bacon Marketing Board as a Board into the producing of bacon.
Minister for Agriculture
Instances have been quoted where perhaps a fire might occur in a factory, and a firm might be temporarily prevented from carrying on; or a strike might occur. The Board might say: " We will try to carry on so that the whole of our business may not be diverted from this particular town by a firm being put out of business, and we will carry on to get over the crisis." I do not think it means carrying on permanently.
If that is so, what is the period the Minister has in mind ? What would he consider the words " temporarily engaged in the production of bacon " to mean ?
Minister for Agriculture
It is very hard to say. If you put in a particular word you will have to qualify it.
That did not occur to me. There are circumstances in which that might occur, but could the Minister think of anything to show that it would be only where it was convinced that it was a good thing for the Board to manufacture bacon that it would be allowed to do so ?
Minister for Agriculture
We can consider it, but I think the Deputy will agree that the Minister would not consent to issue a licence for a long period.
I would like something to show that the licence would be only to tide over a difficulty, and that it was not intended that the Board should take on the normal business of bacon curing.
Minister for Agriculture
I promise to consider that.
Question—" That Section 107 stand part of the Bill "—put and agreed to.
Amendments Nos. 102 and 103 are proposed to Section 108, which the Minister proposes to delete and to insert in Part IV of the Bill. It is suggested that the Deputies responsible for both those amendments should move them to the Minister's amendment. No. 158.
The Chair proposes to hold over these amendments and to take them when they are reached in connection with the relevant section.
Does the Minister propose to delete Section 108 ?
Minister for Agriculture
Yes.
Question—" That Section 108 be deleted "—put and agreed to.