§ 107. Major Beamishasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will remove the restriction which limits the number of gift food-parcels from well-wishers overseas that may be received by any one person in this country in any month.
§ Sir S. CrippsI have considered, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food, the circumstances in which gift parcels may be received by people in this country without the need for an import licence. In agreement with him, I have now decided to dispense altogether with the limit on the number of gift parcels that may be sent to individuals, and to increase the limit on the maximum weight of such gift parcels,126W whether sent by post or otherwise, to 22 lb.; this does not, of course, affect the lower weight limits imposed by certain countries on the despatch of parcels. Within this maximum no further weight restriction will be imposed on the amount of individual foodstuffs or other goods that parcels may contain. These concessions only apply to parcels which are bona fide unsolicited gifts and not imported as merchandise or for sale, and on condition that they are clearly marked as gifts. They do not apply to parcels containing arms and ammunition, plumage, dangerous drugs, or other articles the import of which was, before the war, subject to special legislative prohibition or restriction. Parcels which do not comply with these conditions are liable to seizure by the Customs unless covered by an import licence.