§ 29. Mr. WHITEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any further negotiations have taken place with regard to the publication of the Liverpool customs bill of entry; and whether any decision has been taken in this matter?
§ 28. Captain SOTHERON-ESTCOURTasked the Financial Secretary to the 540 Treasury whether he has received since 25th May, 1934, any representations from shipping circles as to the proposed discontinuance of customs bills of entry; and whether any decision has been come to on the matter?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hore-Belisha)Representations from shipping circles have been received on this subject, including a few since the 25th May. It has been decided for the present to continue publication of all the printed bills of entry except one of the London bills. The decision involves an increase in the amounts of the subscriptions to the bills where necessary, with a view to making them self-supporting.
§ 30. Mr. WHITEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the publication of the Board of Trade Journal, the Marine Observer, and the Army, Navy and Mercantile Marine Lists involves any loss to the Exchequer; and, if so, to what extent?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe Board of Trade Journal and the Army, Navy and Mercantile Marine Lists are published at a profit in the sense that receipts from advertisements and sales (including a credit for copies supplied for the use of the public service) exceed the estimated cost of production. In the same sense it is estimated that the loss on the Marine Observer, which is now published quarterly instead of monthly, will be £100 approximately in the current year.