§ Mr. L. HARDYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any consignment of hops has recently reached London from an enemy source; whether these hops were confiscated and sold by leave of the Government to the very same firm to whom they were originally consigned; whether he can give the names of the consignor and original consignee, and of the firm who sold them on behalf of the Government; and whether the money received for the hops is held over till the end of the War for the benefit of the original consignor?
§ Lord R. CECILMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. I presume that the hon. Member refers to a consignment of eighty bales of hops imported on 4th February last from Holland, which were seized by the Board of Customs and Excise on the instructions of the Foreign Trade Department as being of enemy origin and condemned. The Board inform me that they eventually sold the hops direct to the original consignee at a fair market price, and that the proceeds of the sale have been paid into the Exchequer. I need not say that the money will not be paid to the consignor either2310W during or after the War, the goods having become forefit to the Crown. It is fair to add that the consignee believed that the hops were of Dutch origin.