§ Viscount WOLMERasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that large quantities of goods, imported by the Navy, Army, and Air Force institutes into Iraq, have recently been sold there to the general public without payment of customs duty; and whether, seeing that this constitutes a breach of the undertaking given by the Under-Secretary of State for War on 8th November last, to the effect that sales by these institutes are restricted to members of the garrison, and since such sales involve a serious loss to the Iraq customs, he will withdraw from the institutes the privilege of importing goods free of customs duty in view of the abuse of the privilege and of the fact that a like concession is not enjoyed by similar institutes in England or India?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI have been asked to answer this question. My Noble Friend has been misinformed. In order not to flood the local markets, practically594W all Navy, Army, and Air Force institutes' stocks rendered surplus owing to the reduction of the garrison in Iraq have been evacuated to this country. It is understood that certain small quantities of goods have been or are being sold by auction locally, but the condition of such sales is that customs duty is paid on the articles sold.