§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDY (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state approximately what is the percentage of bananas imported from Jamaica entering English ports since the subsidy has been granted by this country for a direct line of steamers for this trade; what is the amount of the subsidy; what is the cost of transit as compared with the value of the fruit; and who benefits by the transaction.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe proportion of bananas imported from Jamaica to the total import of bananas into the United Kingdom, since the contract for a direct line to Jamaica was signed, has varied from 27 per cent, to 10½ per cent., the average having been affected by the hurricane of August, 1903. The contract provided for an annual subsidy of £40,000, of which £20,000 is paid by the Imperial Government. The cost of 643 transit as compared with the value of the fruit can only be ascertained from Messrs. Elder Dempster. The contract was designed in the interests of the Jamaica fruit grower and the British consumer. But the importance of a direct mail service of steamers between the West Indies and this country is not to be measured merely by the value of the cargoes carried, and still less by any particular commodity included in these cargoes.