§ MR. GRIEVEasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he will consent to the abolition of Duty on Refined Sugar taking effect on the 10th of June instead of on the 21st of May next?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERThe hon. Gentleman asks me, in pursuance of the Notice he gave on Friday last, whether I can consent to the abolition of duty on refined sugar taking effect on the 10th of June instead of on the 21st of May. As I mentioned to the hon. Member on Friday, I named the 21st of May on the advice of the officers of Customs, not having then had any opportunity before I made my Budget Statement of communicating with gentlemen connected with the sugar trade. I promised to consider the subject between Friday and Monday, hoping that if I made such a public announcement, 818 I should receive some communications on the subject. The result was that all through Saturday I received an enormous number of telegrams from all parts of the United Kingdom, and the immense weight of evidence is against any alteration in the date fixed. I am afraid, therefore, I cannot make any change without causing more public inconvenience than I should do good to those for whom the hon. Member is interested.