HC Deb 12 November 1906 vol 164 cc1022-4
MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity of cocoa imported into Great Britain in each year during the past ten years from San Thomé and Principé and British West Indies respectively.

(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) The direct imports of cocoa into this country from St. Thomé and Principé are included in the official records under the general heading of Portuguese West Africa, and no separate statistics of such imports are therefore available. Practically the whole of the cocoa coming from this district reaches the United' Kingdom via Portugal, and is included in the aggregate shown for the latter country. The institution of a "Consignment Account" in 1904 has, however, enabled the figures for the last two years to be given separately. The following figures, therefore, which include also those for British Guiana, are the only ones available:—

Statement showing the quantity of raw Cocoa imported into the United Kingdom from the under mentioned Countries and Possess in the 10 years 1896 to 1905, inclusive, together with the quantities consigned there from in 1904 and 1905.
Year. Portugal. Portuguese West Africa. British West India Islands. British Guiana.
Imported. Consigned. Imported. Consigned. Imported. Consigned. Imported. Consigned,
lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.
1896 5,579,892 — — — 17,409,013 — 122,438 —
1897 1,441,414 — — — 15,772,460 — 173,531 —
1898 6,925,332 — 2,305 — 15,274,518 — 84,711 —
1899 8,675,881 — — — 15,114,192 — 91,504 —
1900 11,883,124 — — — 20,465,964 — 100,474 —
1901 13,511,787 — 261 — 15,676,896 — 73,799 —
1902 13,620,197 — — — 19,981,794 — 80,463 —
1903 14,087,142 — — — 15,427,711 — 115,350 —
1904 11,523,385 7,428,893 — 7,063,209 18,606,668 20,143,523 35,777 71,112
1905 14,672,796 8,770,029 — 5,890,415 17,013,761 17,373,981 1,034 69,622
NOTE.-The accounts of the consignments were not established until the 1st January, 1904.