Major BARNESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his Department briefed counsel to oppose before the Referee the application made by the British Xylonite Company, Limited, for the exclusion of artificial camphor from the Board of Trade list under the Safeguarding of Industries Act on the grounds that this substance is the raw material used by them for the manufacture of celluloid goods, and that this duty of 33⅓ per cent, increases the cost of their productions; if so, what is the amount of expenses incurred to date by his Department in this matter; whether he realises the hardship inflicted upon this firm in not only having to provide their own counsel to assist in obtaining the raw material for their products, but, in addition, as taxpayers, being compelled to furnish their quota towards the counsel and the other expenses which the Board of Trade are incurring; and how the imposition of this duty safeguards the British manufacturers of celluloid, seeing that their raw materials are unobtainable in Great Britain, but that when the substance is imported in the shape of manufactured celluloid it is admitted free?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Board of Trade have briefed one junior counsel in the case mentioned by the hon. Member, which relates to the inclusion of synthetic camphor in one of the lists issued under Section 1 (5) of the Safeguarding of Industries Act. Inasmuch as the case is proceeding, I am unable to make any statement as to the costs incurred by the Board of Trade, but I understand they will probably be small. As regards the third part of the question, I may point out that the Board do not employ counsel in these cases unless the complainants first decide to do so, and that a number of cases have in fact been heard without counsel. As regards the last part of the question, I do not think it would be proper for me to express any opinion on the merits of an issue which is still before the Referee.