§ Sir A. Bossomasked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the vital importance of earning dollars by trade with the United States of America, he will review all the rules and regulations which have to be observed, to see whether these could be simplified and reduced.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftExport licensing does not in general provide any obstacle to trade with the U.S.A. Only a very small number of goods, consisting principally of certain essential raw materials, arms and ammunition, and a few items of high value including works of art and antiques, remains subject to licensing control on export to the United States. These rules and regulations are kept under close and constant review by my Department.
Exports are also subject to Customs formalities for exchange control and statistical purposes and where goods are shipped under revenue remissions or refunds. But I am assured by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that these procedures are examined regularly to see whether they can be simplified. In order to assist the export trade, new exchange control measures have recently been approved, whereby the number of forms required 234W in respect of exports to the U.S.A. and other countries outside the sterling area has been substantially reduced.