§ SIR WILLIAM BULLI beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state the extent to which manu- 596 factured chocolate is imported into this country; what is the amount derived by the Exchequer as the result of the protective duty; and whether he has any information as to the advantage such protective duty has been to British manufacturers.
§ MR. RUNCIMAN (for Mr. ASQUITH)Taking the figures for the five years from 1902 to 1906 inclusive, the average annual import into the United Kingdom of cocoa or chocolate ground, prepared, or in any way manufactured and confectionery containing chocolate, has been 10,914,000 lbs., of which the average quantity entered for home consumption has been 10,307,000 lbs. The average total amount of duty received thereon was £85,340; but I am not prepared to say what proportion (if any) of this receipt results from the alleged protective character of the rates of duty, or to make an estimate of any advantage which may accrue to British manufacturers by reason of those rates.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN (Worcestershire, E.)asked whether it was not a fact that the duty payable on raw cocoa was from 2s. 3d. to 8s. 6d. per cwt. less than the duty charged on the product of the same quantity of raw material imported in the manufactured form.
§ MR. RUNCIMANsaid if that the right hon. Gentleman would put his Question on the Paper he would have the figures verified.
MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN furtherasked whether there could not be presented to the House the calculations on this subject made by the Chairman of the Board of Customs in October, 1904, for the information of the late Chancellor of the Exchequer.
§ MR. RUNCIMANreplied that he would be glad to communicate this desire to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.