§ SIR H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India what are the amounts and values of the raw sugar and refined sugar imported into India during the 209 last year, and the Customs duties paid on such sugars?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing)Complete figures for 1898–99 are not yet available. For the year 1897–98 the figures were—Imports into India: Raw sugar, 373,000 cwts., Rx.76,000; refined sugar,4,235,000. Rx.4,700,000 Customs duty realised on imported sugars at five per cent. ad valorem, Rx.240,000.
§ SIR H. FOWLERCan the right honourable Gentleman say when the Report of the Debates in the Council will be circulated?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIANo, Sir; they are in the printer's hands, and I should hope they will be issued within the next fortnight.
§ MR. SEALE-HAYNE (Devon, Ashburton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he can give the House particulars of the importations of sugar into India, of a later date than 31st March 1898, and state how these later importations compare with the importations during a similar period in the previous year; and whether he will state, for the guidance of traders, what it is the intention of the Government to treat as a bounty in respect of which a countervailing duty may be imposed?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAThe importations of refined sugar into India for the ten months ending 31st January 1899 were—From Mauritius. 1,388,859 cwts.; from Austria, 745,619 cwts.; from Germany, 365,093 cwts.; other countries, 397,386 cwts.; total, 2,896,957 cwts. In 1898—From Mauritius, 1,140,986 cwts.; from Austria, 653,821 cwts.; from Germany, 854,420 cwts.; other countries, 595,240 cwts.; total, 3,244,467 cwts. In addition to this, the total importations of unrefined sugar into India were, for the same periods. 258,950 cwts., 325.660 cwts. The Government of India have issued a notification specifying the countries which grant bounties, direct or indirect, on exportation of sugar, and the amount of the countervailing duties to be levied in each case. This notification will be found in forthcoming Blue Book.