HC Deb 23 January 1940 vol 356 c409W
Mr. G. Strauss

asked the Minister of Economic Warfare the approximate value of the contraband impounded by His Majesty's Government?

Mr. Cross

If by impounding the hon. Member means seizure by the Contraband Control, I fear that I must say that owing to the very wide range of goods and commodities and the number of ships involved, it would be a great labour to produce even an approximate figure. Moreover, I would remind the hon. Member that suspected contraband can only be definitely condemned by the Prize Court, which has so far pronounced in only a relatively small number of cases.