§ 10. Mr. LOUGHasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the quantity of tea and sugar in bond at 1st October in the years 1918, 1917, and 1916 respectively?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of FOOD (Major Astor)It is not considered advisable to publish stocks of food as such information is apt to prove misleading unless anticipated supplies are also taken into account. The stocks of tea have already been published and it may, therefore, be stated that the bonded stocks on 30th September, 1918, were 91,131,000 lbs. as compared with 34,850,000 lbs. on the corresponding date in 1917, and 118,663,000 lbs. in 1916. I am glad to say that the Sugar Commission have accumulated a stock of sugar sufficient to meet the diminished importation which lack of tonnage will entail. This last consideration also applies to stocks of tea.
§ Mr. LOUGHIs not my hon. Friend aware that these figures have been given many months during the year, and does he know of any change that has taken place how to prevent the continuance of the practice?
§ Major ASTORI understand these figures were given once and misled the public considerably; and, because of the confusion which arose in the public mind it was not thought advisable to repeat them.