§ MR. MACLEAN (Cardiff)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the notification in the "Gazette of India," announcing that new duties have been imposed from 20th March on all sugar from bounty-giving countries whether the same is imported directly from the country of production or otherwise; and whether it is imported in the same condition as when exported from the country of production or has been changed in condition by manufacturer or otherwise; and whether, under the terms of this notification, the Government of India proposes to levy the duties on all confectionery imported into India from the United Kingdom, in the manufacture or preparation of which bounty-fed beet sugar has been used?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAMy answer to the first part of this Question is in the affirmative. In reply to the second part, I can only say that, under the terms of the notification, the Government of India will no doubt have the power to tax bounty-fed sugar when forming a portion of the confectionery imported into India from this country; but, having regard to the difficulty of estimating the amount of sugar so used, I do not know whether they will think it worth while to exercise that power, especially as the amount of confectionery imported into India from Great Britain is very small. The whole amount of sugar exported from this country to India is only 900 tons, and in this confectionery is included.