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(n) Complaint: Statistics required for the administration are inadequate and seriously in arrear. Answer : This allegation was well founded, and steps have been taken to remedy the position. (o) Complaint: The method of dealing with appeals has not been satisfactory. Answer : The principal grounds of complaint were undue delays, no uniformity of decisions in comparable cases, and determination of an appeal by the officer or officers who had dealt with the original application. The Import Advisory Committee has endeavoured to remedy these defects. The immediate reference of particular applications to the appropriate Department for its recommendation and the regulation of procedure have reduced delay. Rules of guidance laid down by the Committee have made for uniformity of decisions, and a procedure whereby appeals must be dealt with at a higher level than the original application has ensured that an appeal should be effectively reviewed. In addition, many appeals have in the past been dealt with by the Minister of Customs himself. The Government takes the view that, as far as possible, appeals should be considered and determined by a body which is substantially independent. The Government has accordingly arranged, as was announced when the Import Advisory Committee was appointed, that important appeals shall be determined by the Committee, and that the Minister of Customs will deal in detail only with appeals when a question of high policy is involved, and then only after the Committee has considered the appeal and the Department's report and has made its recommendation to the Minister. So far approximately 350 appeals have been referred to the Committee and in each case its recommendations have been adopted by the Government. When the Board of Trade is appointed, the policy now adopted will be continued. (p) Complaint: The Tariff description is unsuitable for some items in the Licensing Schedule. Answer : This allegation has been frequently made, but does not appear to be sound. The Licensing Schedule contains almost 1,000 items, compared with 449 in the Tariff, and it seems that, as far as practicable, the Schedule describes the items covered reasonably well. (q) Complaint: Decisions have been made without sufficient consultation with appropriate trade organizations. Answer: The Departments do consult trade organizations, though it is not clear that their consultation was always adequate or with all the appropriate organizations. However, to clarify the position the Import Advisory Committee made a recommendation, which the Government adopted, to ensure that this consultation takes place in future. Wherever practicable, the Departments are consulting national trade associations when considering local market supplies and the need for increased imports of particular classes of goods. Similarly, manufacturers are being given adequate opportunities (normally through their national associations) of presenting their views when consideration is being given to importing a higher volume of goods of a class made locally. Furthermore, another recommendation provided that the Committee would hear manufacturers when considering proposals to import goods of a class made locally. It is assumed that the Board of Trade will adopt a similar practice.

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