§ * MR. HILLS (Durham)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the recent alterations in the tariff of Germany and other European countries, he will have brought up to date the figures on page 292 and following pages of the Second Fiscal Blue-book [Cd. 2337] of 1904, showing the average incidence of foreign import duties on the principal manufactured exports of the United Kingdom.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEA Return is in preparation which will give a good deal of information as to the effect of recent changes in some of the more important Continental tariffs. As regards the particular figures referred to in the Question, I am advised that the method of index numbers by which they were arrived at, while affording a useful means of comparing the level of different tariffs at a given time, is unsuitable for measuring changes in the incidence of the same tariff over a short period of years. The reasons can be explained more fully if the hon. Member will call at the Board of Trade.