Mr. Mitchellasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, before the functions of the Import Duties Advisory Committee were suspended, the committee made any recommendations for an increase in the duty on certain elastic goods; and what action it is proposed to take on the recommendation?
§ Captain CrookshankYes, Sir, on the 31st of July last the Import Duties Advisory Committee recommended that the alternative ad valorem import duty on certain elastic goods which consist wholly or partly of lace or lace net or material which in appearance or pattern resembles lace or lace net should be raised from 8d. per lb. or 20 per cent. ad valorem, whichever was the greater (the existing duties) 1433W to 30 per cent. ad valorem. The recommendation was designed to assist British manufacturers to increase their output in the face of importation of goods at the lower end of the price range from certain continental countries. The goods in question, however, are now covered by the terms of the Import Prohibition Orders, 1939, and in these altered circumstances no useful purpose would be served by making an Order as recommended by the committee. I may add that arrangements have been made for the recommendation to be published to-day, as Command Paper 6124.