§ 7. Mr. WADDINGTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Customs duties on cotton manufactures have been increased in certain European countries since the War; which countries have so increased the duties; and will he state the rates of duties in force in such countries in 1913 and 1921 on representative grades of cotton manufactures?
§ Mr. BALDWINSince 1913 increases in the duties on cotton goods have come into force in France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Finland, whilst in several other countries general surcharges and surtaxes have been applied throughout their respective Customs tariffs, with a view to increasing duties payable in paper to their alleged equivalents in gold or for other purposes. The Customs tariffs on cotton goods are so detailed and vary so much in their basis from country to country that it would, I fear, be impossible to give in a concrete form the information asked for in the last part of the question.