§ 88. Mr. BUTCHERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state what amount of the cocoa preparations imported into this country from Switzerland during the first six months of 1915, and amounting in value to £811,362, was chocolate, and what amount, if any, was cocoa for table purposes; and whether, in view of the urgent appeals that have been officially made for economy and the disuse of imported luxuries, and in view of the amount of German and Austrian sugar that is used to the benefit of our enemies in the manufacture of Swiss chocolate, he will state what reason, if any, exists against prohibiting or restricting the importation of Swiss chocolate into this country?
§ Mr. PRETYMANNo exact information on the subject is obtainable from the Customs records, but I understand that by far the greater part of these imports consists, in fact, of chocolate. I see no sufficient reason for interfering with the importation of Swiss chocolate so long as the importation of other sugared goods is permitted, but I may say that the whole question of the desirability of prohibiting the importation of goods not of prime necessity is now being examined, and that it may be found desirable, as the result of this examination, to place some restriction on the importation of sugared goods generally.