§ 39. Mr. HOGGEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any estimate has been formed of the amount which will be collected in respect of the Customs duties imposed by the Safeguarding of Industries Bill?
§ 41. Colonel P. WILLIAMSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any estimate has been made of the amount of goods to be dealt with by the Customs under the Safeguarding of Industries Bill; whether there is adequate warehousing 2341 accommodation for the purposes of the Bill; and, if not, what will be the cost of providing such accommodation?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI have been asked to reply. In 1920, imports of goods of the classes specified in the Schedule amounted approximately to £3,000,000. It is not possible to frame any accurate estimate of what the value of such imports will be after the passage of the Bill. As regards Part II of the Bill, until it is known to what goods the duty will be applied (and this can only be known after complaints have been investigated by Committees to be set up) it is impossible to frame any reliable estimate of the revenue likely to be collected. It is not in contemplation to allow bonded warehousing for goods subject to duty under the Bill. In any event I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend (Colonel Williams) that bonded warehouses are not provided by the Crown.
Dr. MURRAYIs it true that fleets of vessels, revenue cutters, are being fitted out to prevent smuggling?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI think that is an imaginative statement!
Dr. MURRAYIs it not a fact that the only figures upon which this Bill has been founded hitherto have been figures of speech?