§ 36. Mr. JOWETTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that an application for permission to export goods to the United States, made by Messrs. Joseph Benn and Company, Limited, of Bradford, on 25th March last, was not dealt with by the War Trade Department for over two months, and that letters sent by the firm to the Department in question on 30th April, 3rd May, and 15th May, inquiring as to the result of the application, were not replied to or acknowledged; and if he will take steps to put an end to the cause of this and other numerous complaints against the War Trade Department?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Montagu)I regret that the application in question, which involved consultation with the Textile Association and the War Office, took so much time to settle, but there was no avoidable delay on the part of the War Trade Department. I understand that the later letters referred to were left unanswered in the hope that an answer to the main inquiry might be given at any moment, but special instructions have now been given to avoid the recurrence of such an omission.