§ 63. Mr. Rileyasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the inconvenience and loss to merchants and traders who have been urged to increase their exports who are subsequently informed, after goods have been specially made for definite orders, that the permission to export to certain countries has been withdrawn; and whether, in order to avoid unnecessary loss in the export trade, he will consider establishing a panel of traders to meet this situation?
§ Mr. Harcourt Johnstone (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)When exports to certain countries are subjected to control for reasons of economic warfare, it would clearly be undesirable to relax the control so imposed in favour of goods specially made for those destinations. Where exports have been subjected to control for other reasons, sympathetic consideration is given to applications for licences to export goods specially made for a particular destination, which cannot be disposed of in the home market or in other export markets. Every possible allowance, therefore, is and will be made in such cases, and my right hon. Friend does not consider that the establishment of a panel of traders would materially help in dealing with difficulties of this sort.