§ 80. Mr. John Wellsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that much travel literature printed outside the United Kingdom, aimed at persuading people to spend money abroad, comes in tax free, whereas British printers printing brochures for British agencies and using imported paper have to pay 15 per cent. import duty, plus surcharge; and if he will take steps to end this anomaly.
§ Mr. RedheadTravel literature is free of import duty and exempt from the temporary import charge if it is of a kind covered by the U.N.E.S.O. Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials. The import duty on printing paper is for the protection of British paper manufacturers. The full rate of import duty on most printing paper is 16⅔ per cent., the E.F.T.A. rate 5 per cent. and the Commonwealth Preference rate nil. All types of paper are subject to the temporary import charge as manufactured materials and to exempt paper used for printing travel brochures from import duty and import charge would be impracticable and anomalous.