§ 50. Mr. LEACHasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amounts received in import duties on foodstuffs during the years 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, and the estimated amount for 1935–36; and also for the same years the amounts received by home producers in subsidies, levies, or other financial assistance?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Chamberlain)I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement giving the information asked for as to the total amounts received in import duties on foodstuffs, including tea, coffee and cocoa, and certain foodstuffs used in part as feeding stuffs for animals, which cannot be separately distinguished. The statement gives also the amounts received by home producers in subsidies 1535 and levies, and such information as is available regarding other forms of assistance.
§ Mr. LEACHWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether those figures do not warrant a reduction in the food taxes?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINPerhaps the hon. Member will wait until he has seen the figures.
§ Sir JOSEPH NALLWill the figures indicate the classes of duties according to the purposes for which they were imposed?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir.
§ Following is the statement:
| Year. | Amount received in Import Duties on foodstuffs, including tea, coffee and cocoa, and certain foodstuffs used in part as feeding stuffs for animals, which cannot be separately distinguished. | Amount received by Home producers in subsidies* and levies. |
| £ | £ | |
| 1930–31 | 13,949,000 | 6,114,000 |
| 1931–32 | 16,489,000 | 2,211,000 |
| 1932–33 | 27,083,000 | 6,936,000 |
| 1933–34 | 32,896,000 | 10,573,000 |
| 1934–35 | 31,265,000 | 14,753,000 |
| 1935–36 (estimated) | No figure available. | 15,314,000 |
| *Note.—The figures for subsidies cover certain forms of indirect assistance to particular classes of producers, e.g., livestock improvement, etc., assistance to the Herring Industry, etc., but do not take account of the benefit derived from measures of general application such as the Land Drainage Act, 1930. |
§ Other Forms of Assistance to Home Producers.
§ During the period referred to the rebate of taxation in connection with the Beet Sugar Subsidy amounted to £11,890,000.
§ While figures are not available as to the amount by which agriculture has benefited by derating during the years in question, the amounts included in the block grants in respect of the year 1928–29 on the basis of benefit to agriculture in that year totalled approximately £10,800,000.
1536§ Home producers have also received substantial benefit from the operation of the import duties and from reductions of taxation, but it is not, of course, possible to express such benefit in terms of money.