CELLOR OF
THE EXCHEQUER
Commoditio Dept
cc. Mr Bott
Pr/ed fothon.
Treasury Chambers, Great George Street, S.W.
01-930 1234
17 May 1971
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No.45 19MAY 1971
32
LAST
REF.
NOR
REF.
MC13/6
31
19
Thank you for your further letter of 11th May about the possibility of including in the Finance Bill a provision to allow temporary relief from duty for Commonwealth cotton textiles shipped under the quota arrangements.
瞥
I have considered the matter further and fully appreciate the points you and Alec Home have made. In my view our position on the Hong Kong defence contribution is a generous one and I attach importance to securing the figure which Alec mentions in his letter. Nevertheless I take the points you have both made and agree that legislation would be desirable.
I should like to avoid a final commitment to the introduction of this new clause until we can see how the Committee Stage of the Finance Bill is going. But I am prepared to agree that a clause should now be drafted with the intention of introducing it during the Committee Stage, provided that we have not run into unexpectedly rough water. If, as-I hope, it proves possible to bring it forward, I should of course look to you to deal with it, and any amendments to it.
I am copying this letter to Alec Douglas-Home.
1
ANTHONY BARBER
The Rt. Hon. Michael Noble, M.P.,
CONFIDENTIAL