§ Mr. WILKIEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury upon what grounds and under what statute the Excise authorities refuse to supply to the Dundee and district branch of the Scottish Association of Watchmakers and Jewellers a list of all the parties in the said district who are holders of an Excise licence required by the Plate Licences Acts?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)The Board of Customs and Excise are under no obligation to furnish lists of holders of plate licences to private traders or to trading associations. They have expressed their willingness to aid the Central Scottish Association of Watchmakers and Jewellers in their desire to suppress unlicensed competition by furnishing them from time to time, on application to the Board, with information as to whether licences are held in particular cases in which illegal trading is suspected. But they do not think it advisable to furnish local branches of the association at Dundee or elsewhere with lists of local licence holders. Such lists, while involving considerable time and labour in their preparation, would serve no useful purpose unless kept constantly corrected up to date, owing to the opening of new premises and changes which are of frequent occurrence in the ownership of existing businesses.