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Fraud Bill [HL]

With respect, again, it is an everyday experience that someone will say something which is either misleading or which he knows might be misleading, in the hope that it will get him what he wants—goods at a cheap price or whatever it may be. In fact the person who hears him might interpret the cleverly and carefully expressed words in a way which means that they are not misleading and he might or might not sell him the goods at the lower price. But if a person dishonestly says something which he knows is or might be misleading, I regard that as fraud and it is right that the Bill should say so. I am very grateful for the support from the Cross-Benches and from my noble friend Lord Clinton-Davis.