§ 52. Mr. Braineasked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking, in conjunction with the Board of Trade, to reduce the period which elapses between an application being made to his Department for an import licence for seed and its issue to the applicant.
Mr. T. WilliamsThere are close working arrangements between my Department and the Board of Trade so as to ensure that no unnecessary time is taken. I do not accept the implication that there is avoidable delay.
§ Mr. BraineIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in one case, particulars of which I have sent him, more than 10 weeks elapsed between the time of the application and the issue of the licence? Surely he is aware that the planting of seeds does not wait upon bureaucrats. Would he plant that fact firmly in the minds of his officials?
Mr. WilliamsThe hon. Gentleman has got hold of an unfortunate exception, and I hope he will not regard it as being in any way typical.