HC Deb 19 October 1944 vol 403 cc2536-7
69. Mr. Reakes

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he will cause an inquiry to be made to ascertain the extent to which silk stockings have been sent to officials of his Department from time to time, in the official bag, from the office of the High Commissioner at Ottawa; and, to assist this investigation, put members of the staff on oath to give any information they may have on the subject, whilst assuring them that no adverse action will be taken against any person who may furnish the investigators with such evidence.

Mr. Harcourt Johnstone (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)

I have already investigated the allegations upon which the hon. Member's Question is based, and I find that on no occasion have silk stockings been sent to officers of my Department by official bag, or by any other means, from Ottawa. It may be that the reference is to a single occasion, now over 14 months ago, when a spontaneous gift of six pairs of lisle stockings was sent by an officer of my Department serving in Canada to each of two colleagues in the Department. On this gift no Import Duty or Purchase Tax was leviable, nor did its importation entail the surrender of clothing coupons. The officer who sent this gift in this way, without the knowledge of the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Canada, has expressed his regret for' the irregular use on this one occasion of the air bag. I must make it clear that the recipients had no reason to believe that these stockings had come otherwise than by ordinary postal mail, since the two inner parcels separately addressed came in one outer covering which was taken off in the Department's Registry. If the hon. Member has any additional information bearing on this subject, I shall be glad to receive it. I assure him that any mem- bers of my Department who furnish me with information on this subject will in no way suffer by so doing.

Mr. Cocks

Were these stockings for ladies attached to the right hon. Gentleman's Department, or for ladies attached to members of his staff, or himself?

Mr. Johnstone

They were presents to male members of the Department who have wives.