asked the Minister for Finance if he will state (a) the number of licences authorising the importation without payment of the duty on certain packages under Section 22 of the Finance Act, 1932, which have been issued since the 1st April last to the latest available date; (b) the quantity of the article or commodity permitted to be imported under such licences; and (c) the number (if any) of applications for such licences which have been refused and the reason for refusal in each case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Licences for Imports of Tariffed Goods.
(a) Five licences were issued under Section 22, Finance Act, 1932, to allow the importation of commodities or articles without payment of package duty.
(b) The commodities or articles to be imported were—
850 cases, each containing 50 gross, of Oxo cubes;
1,360 cases of lager beer;
483½ dozen bottles of mineral waters;
6,489 lbs. Edwards' desiccated soup;
and
1,572 dozen jars of vanishing cream.
I regret that it is not possible to supply information under head (c) of the question relative to the number of applications refused. The applications for licences which are received are not indexed according to the sections of the Act or the items of the Schedules to which they refer, and the analysis of all the applications, to ascertain the number (if any) in any category which have been refused, would necessitate an expenditure of time and labour which the results would not, in my opinion, justify.