§ 57. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade if British exporters who ship goods under permits from the War Trade Department to the Netherlands Oversea Trust have any control over such goods after they have been shipped or any 1497 responsibility if the persons to whom the trust deliver such goods break the guarantees under which the goods were shipped from this country and delivered by the trust; and, if so, what is the nature and extent of the control and of the responsibility of the British exporters?
§ Lord ROBERT CECILBritish exporters have no control or responsibility in regard to licensed goods which have been consigned and shipped to the Netherlands Oversea Trust. Licences are issued by the War Trade Department on production by the exporter of the written consent of the Netherlands Oversea Trust to accept consignment of the goods in question. The Netherlands Oversea Trust undertake the delivery of the goods to the Dutch importers, and guarantee that neither the goods themselves nor any articles manufactured from them will be exported to belligerent countries. Any responsibility as to the ultimate destination of the goods rests, therefore, with the Netherlands Oversea Trust and the importers. The "consents" of the Netherlands Oversea Trust are sent periodically to that body in order that they may be checked and duly controlled by comparison with their actual receipts.