§ Sir J. SIMONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a consignment of a non-dutiable product, namely, solution salt B, which was landed at Manchester ex s.s. "Jabiru," on 22nd April last, was detained by the Customs under Part I of the Safeguarding of Industries Act; that samples were taken on 1st May, and the goods ultimately released, free of duty or any other restrictions, on 4th June; that during the whole of this period the importers repeatedly appealed for the release of their goods, as they were urgently required by the consumers, who, after waiting three weeks for delivery, bought elsewhere to keep their works going; and that the importer has the goods left on his hands, and has incurred considerable loss on dock 1150W and storage charges; and can he state for what reason these goods were detained at all, and why they were held up for over six weeks?
Mr. GRAHAMThe goods in question, though imported on the 22nd April, were not presented by the importers' agents for Customs examination until the 1st May, and even when they were so presented, it was uncertain from the description given by the agents whether, apart from any question of duty under Part I of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, 1921, the goods were not within the prohibitions on importation contained in the Dyestuffs (Import Regulation) Act, 1920. It was accordingly necessary, before delivery of the goods could be allowed, for samples to be taken, and the exact nature of the goods ascertained, a course which inevitably entailed some delay. If in any similar case in future the importers are in a position to make a declaration that the goods are not synthetic organic dyestuffs or intermediate products, and to furnish the Customs with such a declaration, the settlement of the matter would be expedited. I may add that no communication suggesting special urgency in regard to this exceptional consignment was received by the Customs officers.