§ MR. REESTo ask the Secretary of State for India whether the boycott organised by the anti-partitionists in Bengal has resulted in a falling off of 70,000,000 of yards of cotton piece goods in the exports from Manchester, while in other Indian Provinces there has been an excess of 31,000,000 of yards in the figures for last year; and whether, since Bengal takes more than half of all the Manchester piece goods imported into India, he will publish such figures as may be available for the information of those interested in the trade.
§ (Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) The trade Returns of the United Kingdom 1473 give the exports of cotton piece goods from the United Kingdom to the mari-
| Millions of Yards. | |||
| 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | |
| Bengal | 1,216 | 1,280 | 1,209 |
| Other Provinces | 1,040 | 1,113 | 1,142 |
§ I am unable to say whether the decrease in the export to Bengal in 1906, as compared with the figures of 1906, was due to the cause mentioned by the hon. Member. The export to Bengal in 1905 was abnormally large. The average export to Bengal for the five years ending 1905 was 1,190 million yards. The trade Returns published by the Board of Trade and by the Government of India give full particulars regarding the cotton piece goods trade of this country with India.