§ Mr. Greenasked the President of the Board of Trade what will be the administrative arrangements for the remission of import duty in instruments and apparatus under the Import Duties Act, 1958.
§ Sir D. EcclesI am proposing to widen the scope of the arrangements for remitting duty on instruments and apparatus. The Board of Trade will be prepared to 45W consider applications in respect of all instruments and apparatus imported on or after 1st January next, which are covered by the definition in the Import Duties Act, 1958 (paragraph 1(c) of the Fourth Schedule), where the rate of duty is 25 per cent. or more and the amount of duty chargeable is £50 or more. The imposition of a minimum value limit has been necessary in order to make this concession possible without adding disproportionately to Civil Service staffs. Details of the arrangements will be published tomorrow.