HC Deb 26 February 1901 vol 89 cc1193-4
SIR HOWARD VINCENT

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he can inform the House what the total value of the import of goods manufactured by foreign labour was in 1900, and how much revenue to the public a tax of ten per cent. thereon would produce.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

It is not possible to state the value of the import of goods manufactured by foreign labour, the statistics compiled by the Customs only showing the countries from which the goods were shipped, and not the nationality of the labour employed in their manufacture, which would be quite impossible to arrive at in the case of goods made abroad from materials imported from this country in a half manufactured condition.

SIR HOWARD VINCENT

But did not the imports of foreign manufactured goods last year exceed a hundred millions sterling?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I think the total was eighty-six millions odd.

MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)

Does that include part-manufactured goods?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

was understood to reply in the negative.