§ 45. Mr. ARTHUR REEDasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any estimate has been made as to the loss of revenue which will result during the present financial year from the proposed reductions in the paper import duties?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hore-Belisha)A precise estimate of the loss anticipated by my hon. Friend is not practicable, but its amount will be small compared with the total revenue derived from paper.
§ 46. Mr. SMEDLEY CROOKEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give an approximate date when the Import Duties Advisory Committee is likely to issue its recommendations regarding bent-wire goods used in the making of spring-wire-mattresses, seeing that the industry placed their application before the committee as far back as September last?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave yesterday in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Mr. Emrys-Evans).
§ Mr. CROOKECan the hon. Gentleman tell me what steps, if any, can be taken to expedite the declaration of their decision?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMy hon. Friend has taken the most practicable step by calling attention to the matter.
§ Mr. CAPORNIs the hon. Gentleman aware that public attention has often been called to the delay?
§ Mr. BUCHANANCannot the hon. Gentleman put an end to this indecent practice of harassing this Committee in their work?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMy hon. Friend has now called public attention to that matter also.
§ 47. Mr. SUMMERSBYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive a report from the Import Duties Advisory Committee upon the re presentations that foreign box shook sare being imported into this country under conditions which evade the full 20 per cent. duty and that protection should be afforded to British manufacturers?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the recent agreements with Sweden and Norway in which it is laid down that the duty on softwood boxboards of a kind at present dutiable, when imported otherwise than in sets, at 10 per cent., shall not be dutiable at a higher rate than 10 per cent. whether imported in sets or not.
§ 48. Mr. STOREYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the quantity and value of the goods imported into registered shipbuilding yards in the United Kingdom free of duty under the provisions of Section 11 of the Import Duties Act, 1932, to the nearest convenient date?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAUp to the 31st March, 1933, goods to the value of approximately £39,000 were imported free of duty into registered shipbuilding yards under the provisions of Section 11 of the Import Duties Act, 1932. A great 923 Variety of articles is concerned and information as to the quantity of each description is not available.
§ 49. Mr. DORANasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the amount of unemployment in the coopering trade, he will give directions for the allowance of drawback of duties on timber imported for staves for beer barrels to enable the British makers to compete with the German makers for supplying the new demand in the American markets?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe recommendation of the allowance of drawback in suitable cases is a matter for the Import Duties Advisory Committee to whom any application should be made.
§ Mr. DORANIs the hon. Gentleman aware that America can cater for her own requirements after September, and that if this drawback were granted to coopers now they could give work to thousands of men? I have a telegram in my hand from a gentleman who is visiting this country trying to place a contract—
§ Mr. SPEAKERMr. Parkinson.