§ Mr. ATKEYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Department of Import Restrictions are issuing licences for the importations of Swiss lace curtains upon the basis of 1916 importations; that the firm of Samuel Peach and Sons, Nottingham, have annually imported these curtains for thirty years prior to the War, 1000W very largely for their export trade, but ceased to do so before the year 1916 in response to a request from the Government and prompted by patriotic reasons; that, had they ignored this request and continued their importations, they would now have been able to have recommenced this business, for which there is a demand from overseas; and that they are now unable to catalogue those goods and their export trade is thereby prejudiced; and will he reconsider the matter so as to give this firm a reasonable chance of renewing their pre-war trade?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on Friday last to the hon. Member for Nottingham East (Sir J. D. Rees). To that I would add that any firm wishing to import goods subject to import licence for the purpose of re-export is encouraged to do so up to any extent on giving suitable assurances as to the re-export of the goods.