§ Commander H. CRAIGasked the Assistant-Director of the War Trade Department whether his attention has been drawn to the inconvenience and unnecessary loss caused to traders through the refusal of the War Trade Department to extending the period for export licences which have been previously granted for goods to be shipped to Italy, and which have expired owing to the Government having commandeered the shipping space which had been arranged for the carriage of the licensed goods; whether he is aware that in many cases where goods for which an export licence has been granted have had space allotted to them by the Italian Commission the War Trade Department have refused to extend the licence so as to enable the shipment of the goods to be effected, and have taken no notice of appeals both by telegram and letters from traders, who are thus left with goods on their hands which have been specially manufactured and packed for the Italian market, and for which there is no demand in this country; and what action he proposes to take to remedy these matters?
§ Captain Viscount WOLMERThe War Trade Department is always anxious to facilitate the export of commodities to our Allies when home supplies render it possible. It occasionally happens, however, that, owing to the changing conditions of the War, sudden demands upon home stocks arise, and it then becomes neces-194W sary to prevent supplies from being further depleted. The inconvenience and loss that is thus sometimes caused to private traders is greatly regretted, and it is only the paramount necessity of national requirements that obliges the Department to refuse the extension of licences that had formerly been permissible.