HC Deb 21 February 1898 vol 53 cc1192-3
SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state what amount of Customs Duties were obtained by examination of the personal luggage of passengers from the Continent arriving last year at London, Dover, Folkestone, Queenborough, Harwich, Newhaven, or Southampton, and what proportion it bore to the cost of examination and collection; and if the Treasury has considered with the Board of Customs either the suggestion of Sir Algernon West, ex-Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue, of freeing personal luggage from examination, save in suspected cases, on a declaration and 1s. fee, or any other method which, without endangering the Revenue, would absolve passengers arriving in this country from the delay and annoyance attending examination of trunks and handbags which could not contain any considerable quantity of dutiable imports?

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HANBURY,) Preston

The Customs Duties obtained during the year 1897 by examination of the personal luggage of passengers arriving from the Continent at the places in question amounted to £7,205 11s. 2d. It would be impossible to state with any approach to accuracy the proportion between that amount and the cost of examination and collection, because the work is not done by a special staff, but by officers who are temporarily withdrawn for the purpose from their ordinary duties as occasion requires. The suggestion referred to in the second paragraph has been considered by the Board of Customs, but it has not been found acceptable. Its adoption would not secure any reduction of expenditure, as it would be necessary to retain the present machinery and staff for examination in the case of passengers who might not choose to avail themselves of the option to make the declaration and pay the fee. I doubt very much whether any considerable proportion of passengers would care to avail themselves of that procedure, and there is, too, much reason to fear that among the cases in which it would be adopted would be just those in which examination would be most desirable. The suggestion was that the Customs should still retain the power of examination in suspected cases in spite of the declaration and fee; but I think this would be throwing an invidious duty on the Customs officers, and adding unnecessary complications to the present system. No effort is spared to minimise the inconvenience and trouble to passengers under the present system, and I know of no method which would enable examination to be dispensed with without endangering the Revenue.