14. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has considered the case of an established business which has had to be closed down altogether owing to the complete prohibition of certain imports; and whether he is prepared to provide any compensation for losses thus inflicted upon individuals in the interest of the nation as a whole, or whether he will permit reduced imports, as in the case of wood pulp and paper, to enable the business to be carried on?
Mr. RUNCIMANIf the hon. Member will furnish me with specific instances of the facts alleged in the first part of the question I will consider them; but, in any case, I cannot undertake to provide monetary compensation. It must be evident that if all prohibited articles were treated similarly to paper and wood-pulp, the prohibitions would largely fail of their effect.