§ (1) Section forty-one of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876 (which makes provision with respect to the place from which goods are to be deemed to be imported), shall cease to have effect.
§ (2) The information to be furnished under the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, in respect of goods imported or exported shall include such information in regard to the goods as the Commissioners of Customs and Excise may require to be given, and particularly, in the case of imported goods, the name of the place from which the goods were first consigned to the United Kingdom, and in the case of exported goods, the name of the place of final destination of the goods, and the forms in Schedule B to that Act may be altered by the Commissioners in such manner as they think expedient for giving effect to this Section, and the Commissioners may, if they consider it necessary, require evidence to be produced to their satisfaction in support of any information so furnished.
§ Mr. HAYIs this Clause put in so that the origin of goods coming into this country may be properly returned?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIt is in order to meet the requirements of the Departmental Committee of the Board of Trade which met three or four years ago, and this is to carry out their recommendations.
§ Mr. E. H. CARLILESub-section (2) of this Clause refers to the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, and looking that up I notice that the provision referred to is to the effect that goods shall be deemed to be imported from the place of shipment. Now that is not considered sufficient information, 1541 and we are to have stated the actual source from which the goods originally came. A great many importers of this country are not aware of the actual source from which the goods they import come, and a great deal of dfficulty and inconvenience is likely to arise from that requirement. Then information is to be given of the ultimate destination of the goods, and that is still more perplexing to the exporting merchants, as they do not know the ultimate destination; goods might be consigned to St. Petersburg and go to Siberia, and if that is not returned the exporter is to be liable to penalties. Then the Customs and Inland Revenue claim the right to amend the forms to be used from time to time. That might constitute a very considerable annoyance to merchants if the form to which they are accustomed is suddenly changed. I do not see why the Commissioners should not come back here for these powers with reference to the kind of information they want. Altogether the Clause is likely to hamper trade and injure the interests of merchants, both importing and exporting, and there is a great deal in it which might very well have more consideration at the hands of the Government. As with a great deal more of their legislation, it has rather a tendency to restrict the freedom of trade. They are always talking to us about Free Trade, but they hamper it for all they are worth.
§ Mr. HAYSurely the right hon. Gentleman will answer my hon. Friend. Will he not consider the matter before Report?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSENo, I do not think I can. This is the result of a very strong influential committee of the Board of Trade, whose report was perfectly unanimous. The traders accept the proposal with perfect willingness. The objection the hon. Member has advanced may appear sound, but in practice no inconvenience whatever is expected.