§ COLONEL DENNY (Kilmarnock Burghs)To ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade what has been the average price of sugar for each year during the last five years, what has been the average bounty paid by Germany, Austria, and France during that period, what is the present price of sugar, and what is the quoted price for sugar for delivery twelve months from date.
(Answered by Mr. Bonar Law) The average declared import values of sugar imported into the United Kingdom in the last five years have been—
Years. Of Refined Sugar. Of Unrefined Sugar. Per cwt. Per cwt. s. d. s. d. 1898 12 3¾ 9 7¼ 1899 12 6¾ 10 5¾ 1900 12 10 10 5½ 1901 12 2¼ 9 6¼ 1902 10 7¼ 7 7½
§ The average bounties on sugar paid by Germany, Austria, and France in each of the same years, as fixed by the United States Government for the purpose of levying countervailing duties, were—
| Per cwt. | ||
| s. | d. | |
| For Austria-Hungary— | ||
| During 1898 and 1899— | ||
| Under 93 and at least 88 polarisation | 1 | 3¼ |
| Under 99.5 and at least 93 polarisation | 1 | 4½ |
| At least 99.5 polarisation | 1 | 11½ |
| During 1900–1902— | ||
| Under 99.3 and not less than 90 polarisation | 1 | 0 |
| At least 99.3 polarisation | 1 | 5¼ |
| For Germany— | ||
| Raw, at least 90 | 1 | 2¾ |
| Refined, under 98 and at least 90 | 1 | 3¼ |
| Candy, and sugar in white, hard loaves, blocks, crystals, etc., testing at least 99.5 | 1 | 9¼ |
| All other, at least 98 | 1 | 6 |
| For France— | ||
| Raw, 65 to 98 for beet, and 65 to 97 for French Colonial sugars | 4 | 3¼ |
| Candy, and refined sugar in loaves or crushed | 4 | 8½ |
| Raw or refined, in grains or crystals, polarising at least 98 | 4 | 5¾ |
§ The above estimates of bounties do not include any indirect bounties that may have arisen from the operations of cartels. The price of "88 per cent." beet sugar, f.o.b. Hamburg, was reported about the middle of June, 1903, to be from 7s. 10d. to 8s. 0½d. per cwt. The price quoted at the same time for delivery in January-March next was from 8s. 9½d. to 8s. 11¼d. per cwt.