§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON (Lancashire, N. W.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether, in addition to the information asked for by the hon. Member for Dumbartonshire, he can give similar information with regard to the estimated population, and the imports exports, and re-exports, together with the total of these, for Belgium for the year 1907.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) Complete information with regard to Belgian imports and exports is not available for 1907. Information can at present only be given in respect of what are described in the Belgian official statistics as "Principal Articles," which in 1906 formed over 90 per cent. of the whole. The following table and its explanatory note gives the particulars as to "Principal Articles" in a similar form to the 1049 statement given in answer to my hon. friend the Member for Dumbartonshire—
| Foreign Trade and Population of Belgium in 1907. | |
| 1907 (Principal Articles only).* | |
| Foreign trade:— | £ |
| Imports for home consumption | 137,144,000 |
| Exports of domestic produce | 106,881,000 |
| Total of above | 244,025,000 |
| Estimated population | 7,200,000 |
§ Foreign trade per head of the population:
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Imports for home consumption | 19 | 0 | 11 |
| Exports of domestic produce | 14 | 16 | 11 |
| Total of above | 33 | 17 | 10 |
§ The following note is extracted from the Belgian official Trade Accounts: It frequently happens that, in order to avoid the transit trade regulations, goods not subject to duty on importation are declared for consumption instead of being declared for ultimate exportation. As a result the figures of "special" trade, both imports and exports, are inflated at the expense of the "transit" trade. Thus cereals (other than oats), raw hides and skins, raw animal products and crude mineral products not specially mentioned in the Customs tariff, raw textile materials, gums, and other articles not subject to duty on importation, which are destined for transit, are declared first for consumption and subsequently for exportation. But as on exportation it is not possible to distinguish the country of origin of these goods, the Customs authorities are compelled to record such articles as Belgian produce.