§ 34. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether in Blue Book Cd. 6771, entitled Reports on British Trade in West Africa, on pages 19 and 20, the commercial intelligence officer of Southern Nigeria advises British merchants to enter upon the spirit traffic of West Africa, which, he says, they have hitherto held aloof from; whether the policy of the British Government, as declared at the various Brussels Conferences of the Powers, has for the past twenty-four years been one of restriction upon the traffic in spirits in West Africa; whether the commercial policy of the Board of Trade is opposed to this policy of restriction; and whether he will either cancel that part of the Blue Book referred to, or undertake that no such advice will in the future be given in official documents issued by the Board of Trade?
Mr. ROBERTSONI do not find in the report in question any suggestion that the importation of spirits should be increased. The writer expresses the opinion that the existing importation, which is almost entirely from the Continent of Europe, might to some extent be replaced by a more expensive brand of guaranteed pure grain spirit, and suggests that the question of supplying such an article should be considered by British distillers. The policy of the Government, outside the areas of total prohibition, is to restrict the trade by duties and licences, by which the retail price is increased, and also to penalise the stronger spirits by heavier duties. I may add that the duty of 5s. 6d. a gallon referred to in the report has since been increased to 6s. 3d.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSDoes not the hon. Gentleman see that the publication in an official Blue Book of the Government of an indication to English merchants to 1030 import spirits into Africa lays us open to the charge of hypocrisy when we are dealing with other European nations asking them to restrict the importation of spirits?
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill the President of the Board of Trade receive a deputation on this matter, which is felt very seriously in the country?