20. Mr. FOOTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that importers who have paid duties on commodities afterwards removed from the list of articles dutiable under Part I of the Safeguarding of Industries Act have been refused repayment of the duties direct, but can obtain a refund of the duties as duties paid on re-exports if they ship the articles to, say, Rotterdam and back; and whether, in these circumstances, he will obtain powers, if necessary, to repay such duties at once without compellling traders to incur the unnecessary expense above referred to?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Baird, for Mr. Hilton Young)The facts are substantially as stated in the question, except that drawback is only payable if the goods exported have not been used in this country. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has several times stated, he is not prepared to promote legislation to authorise repayment of the duty paid on goods afterwards removed from the list.