SIR GILBERT PARKERI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the world's total production of sugar; how much Russian sugar was imported into this country in 1902, and what is the importation at the present time; and what was the amount of sugar imported from the Argentine in 1902, and how much is imported from the Argentine at the present time.
§ MR. KEARLEYThe total world's production in the season 1906–7 was estimated at about fourteen million tons. The official statistics do not enable any precise statement to be made as to the amount of the imports into this country of Russian sugar in 1902, much of which came through Germany. The imports from the Argentine in that year amounted to 4,045 tons of unrefined sugar and 350 tons of refined sugar. The importation of sugar from both Russia and the Argentine has been prohibited since 1st September, 1903.