Orders of the Day — Finance Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 December 1964.

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Photo of Sir Frederick Burden Sir Frederick Burden , Gillingham 12:00, 2 December 1964

I am glad to hear that undertaking, but that was not exactly what was said in the reply I received. It included the words "where cotton grey cloth can be recognised". The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate that this cloth is manufactured into a great many different types of articles. The same piece or consignment could well, by the time it is finished, have passed through three or four different processes and bear no resemblance to the original cloth. It could have been printed cotton, towels or sheets. It could be extremely difficult for the Customs authorities to recognise that it had originally been imported. The amount of rebate which would be obtainable by the original importer of the cloth would have to be reclaimed and passed on to the exporter so that it would give benefit at the point of re-export.

These are tremendously difficult matters, and I am glad to be told that the Government realise the problems, because if they were going to carry this out eventually at all, it would mean that they would not only have to have a big army of Customs officials, but those Customs officials would find it almost impossible to carry out this job. It is my experience that there are these difficulties—