§ MR. TAYLOR (Lancashire, Radcliffe)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if, following the precedent of rebate of duty to those who had made coal contracts, the Treasury will grant a similar rebate of duty to importers of sugar under bona fide contracts made so far back as December, 1900, for monthly 1153 deliveries extending up to the present date, and resold at old prices during the first three months of this year, and on which the contractors can prove they will thus lose the sugar duty.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir M. HICKS BEACH, Bristol, W.)There is no statutory authority to grant the rebate asked for by the hon. Member, nor do I think there ought to be. Section 10 of the Finance Act specially enables importers of sugar, in the absence of agreement to the contrary, to recover the duty as an addition to their pre-Budget contract prices.