Major BARNESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if His Majesty's officers of Customs at Newcastle refused delivery of some vacuum flasks without payment of 33⅓ per cent. duty under the Safeguarding of Industries Act, which duty had to be paid against receipt No. 23,041 of the 20th June; why this duty was demanded, seeing that vacuum flasks have been exempted by the Board of Trade 223W from duty; and whether it would be possible for him to give clear instructions to his officers as to what articles are dutiable, so as to save delays and costs which are now incurred?
§ Sir R. HORNEIt appears that through inadvertence the goods had been held to be liable to duty, but the necessary instructions to enable the duty to be repaid were issued on the 10th instant. The last part of the question does not therefore arise.