§ 56. Sir H. CROFTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware 1089 that timber which is being imported into this country from Soviet Russia is prepared by convict labour; and whether the Commissioners of Customs are taking steps to prevent the importation of such timber under Section 1 of the Foreign Prison-made Goods Act, 1897, and Section 42 of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1872?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENAs I explained in reply to a question on this subject put by the right hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hacking) on the 22nd July last, before the provisions of the Foreign Prison-made Goods Act can be put into operation it is necessary that evidence be produced to the satisfaction of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise that any particular consignment of goods has been made or produced wholly or in part in a foreign prison, gaol, house of correction or penitentiary. If any such evidence is forthcoming with regard to specific consignments of timber from the Soviet Union, it should, in accordance with the Act, be submitted to the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, but I would point out that such evidence must be sufficiently detailed and conclusive to satisfy the Commissioners that any action taken by them would be sustainable if challenged in a Court of Law.
§ Sir H. CROFTHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to the fact that there is evidence of this description from numerous sources; that, in fact, sworn evidence has been given by a priest that pit props known to have been produced by convict labour have been landed in this country; and that there are official statistics to the effect that some 260,000—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Member must not take advantage of Question Time to make a speech.
§ Sir H. CROFTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is the intention of the Government to take steps to see that this Act is enforced on the earliest possible occasion?
§ Mr. SNOWDENReally, I have given a full reply to that question in my reply to the original question. I may say that I made a statement on the 22nd July last, saying that, if there was any evidence at all that these imports fell 1090 within the Foreign Prison-made Goods Act, all that a person had to do was to submit his evidence to the Commissioners of Customs and Excise. Nearly six months have elapsed since that statement, and, indeed, invitation, and not one representation has yet been made.
§ Sir H. CROFTIn view of the fact that certain evidence has been forwarded to the right hon. Gentleman, I beg to give notice that I will ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House.
§ Mr. SNOWDENThe hon. and gallant Gentleman was kind enough to send to me, a day or two ago, in anticipation of this question, a cutting from an article which appeared in the "Times" newspaper, but I have had a sufficiently long experience of stories on the one side and the other from Russia to take any statement of that kind with a grain of salt.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Member for Bournemouth (Sir H. Croft) has given notice that he is going to try to raise this matter on a Motion for the Adjournment of the House. I will deal with it after questions.
Mr. MACLEANOn a point of Order. In view of the fact that the hon. and gallant Member's question deals with a matter that has to come before a Court of Law for a legal decision, will he be in order in raising such a matter for debate in this House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is quite in order.
Mr. MACLEANThe next time I have a question refused at the Table on the ground that it is sub judice I shall insist on asking it. What is flesh for him is flesh for us.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has no right to say things like that.
§ Sir H. CROFTI think you misunderstood what I said, Sir. I asked leave to move the adjournment of the House, and not to raise it on the adjournment.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI quite understood the hon. and gallant Member.