§ MR. D. A. THOMASI beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has formed any estimate of the quantity of coal consumed in the production of pig iron afterwards exported abroad and used as the raw material in the manufacture of articles imported into the United Kingdom and sold in competition with articles made in Sheffield and other centres of British industry; and whether he has considered the advisability of imposing a tax on coal so used and virtually exported.
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHThe quantity of pig iron of British make exported 1313 in 1900 was 1,427,525 tons. I have no knowledge as to the quantity of coal consumed in its production, or as to the proportion of such iron re-imported into this country in a manufactured form. I do not propose to impose a tax on coal so used.