§ 71. Major NATHANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether public or private notice was given of the intention of the Import Duties Advisory Committee to proceed to the consideration of representations as contemplated by the Import Duties Act and to consider the recommendations; and, if so, the nature and length of such notice?
§ Major ELLIOTI am informed that whilst the Committee have in a number of instances invited representatives of industries to meet them for the discussion of matters under consideration, no public notice has so far been issued in the sense suggested in the first part of the question; the second part does not, therefore, arise.
§ 72 and 73. Major NATHANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations have been received by the Import Duties Advisory Committee from the trades and industries the products of which are the subject of the Additional Import Duties (No. 1) Order, 1932; the dates of such representations; whether the same were verbal or in writing; and by whom the same have been made;
21 (2) whether any evidence and, if so, from whom and whether verbal or in writing, was invited and taken by the committee from the trades and industries which are consumers of the goods the subject of the Additional Import Duties (No. 1) Order, 1932?
§ Major ELLIOTIf the hon. and gallant Member will refer to paragraphs 7, 8 and 9 of the committee's recommendations he will find a full explanation of the basis on which the recommendations were made. I understand that information has been received by the committee both verbally and in writing from a large number of interests involved in the new duties, but I do not think it desirable at the present moment to ask the committee to furnish lists of all the commmunications which they have received.
§ Major NATHANWill the right hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether the committee invited representations from the consumers of goods, how those invitations were sent, and what was the reply?
§ Major ELLIOTThey are set out at considerable length in the committee's report, and the hon. and gallant Gentleman will find that they were acting on well-known existing information.
§ Sir PERCY HARRISIs not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that Section 2 (3) makes provision that the committee shall take into consideration from time to time any representations which have been made to them and that, therefore, if they fail to make such representations, the provisions of the Act of Parliament are not being fulfilled?
§ Major ELLIOTIt has taken them into consideration.
§ Major NATHANIn view of the unsatisfactory answer, I beg to give notice that I shall seek leave to move the Adjournment of the House at the close of questions on a definite matter of urgent public importance.