§ MR. SAMUEL EVANS (Glamorganshire, Mid)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state what proposals the Government have decided to submit to the House in Committee with reference to the exemption of contracts entered into before the Budget statement from the operation of the export duty on coal.
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHThe only proposal I intend to submit to the House is the insertion of the date of the 1st January, 1902, in the clause relating to this subject. But I may state that, under the power granted by that clause, I propose to grant exemption from duty to post-Budget exports of coal under pre-Budget contracts, f.o.b. and c.i.f. alike, up to 31st December, 1901, provided that the contracts are shown to the satisfaction of the Customs to have been operative and binding subsequently to 18th April, 1901, that they specify the amount and price of the coal to be supplied, that they are bona fide covered by buying contracts for coal or by the ownership of coal, and that the quantities of coal exported are such as, in the opinion of the Customs, are properly exported between 19th April and 31st December, 1901, both inclusive, under the terms of the contracts. If the contracts specify only the price, not the quantity, of the coal to be supplied, exemption may be granted to them also under the foregoing conditions, in either case not beyond the period to which the cover extends, nor beyond 31st December, 1396 1901, in any case. I may add, in explanation, that I have endeavoured to allow a liberal period of exemption for all contracts which are fair business transactions. When contracts are made for a long period they necessarily assume a more speculative character, and therefore have much less claim to exemption, and this is particularly true of uncovered contracts to supply an unlimited quantity at a named price, which seem to me purely gambling transactions.
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHIf the hon. Member will put a question on the Paper for Thursday, I shall be happy to answer it. It will, I have no doubt, have a considerable effect on the yield of the tax.