§ 49. Major GLYNasked the President of the Board of Trade if, seeing that the value of imported eggs in shell for the six months ending June was £7,219,622, of which the value of eggs from China was £247,377, being a considerable reduction from normal years, he will say from what country has the deficit in eggs been made up; and what is the estimated value and number of eggs from British home supply, from British Dominions, and from foreign countries, respectively, that were bought and consumed in Great Britain in the six months ending June last?
Mr. SAMUELThe answer is rather long and contains a statistical table. Accordingly with the permission of my hon. and gallant Friend, it will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Major GLYNIs it the case that the importation of eggs is very largely in the hands of the same trust or organisation that controls the import of meat?
§ Mr. HARDIEHave the Government, in view of the large importation of eggs, done anything at all towards making the 15 production of eggs in this country something that can be undertaken by anyone who cares to take it up, instead of its being in the hands of trusts, as is the case to-day?
Mr. SAMUELWe produced 1,500,000,000 eggs in this country in six months, against 900,000,000 imported from foreign countries, so I do not think we are doing so badly in regard to producing eggs in this country.
§ Mr. HARDIEYou are not making up for lost time.
§ Following is the answer:
§ Particulars of the imports of eggs in shell from the principal countries in the first six months of 1927 and the two previous years are shown on page 17 of the Accounts of Trade and Navigation for June last. In the imports from some of the "Other Countries" unspecified in the returns, increases have taken place, particularly in the imports from Sweden, Belgium and Latvia.
§ As regards the second part of the question, the number of eggs produced in Great Britain in the first six months of 1927 is estimated at 1,500,000,000. The average price of eggs at markets in England and Wales, allowing for variations in quantity in different months, in these six months was 1s. 4½d. per dozen. This gives the total value of the production in Great Britain during January-June 1927, as £8½ millions.
§ As to imports during these six months, the following table gives the quantity and declared value of eggs in shell imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| Quantity. | ||
| Great Hundreds. | Value. | |
| Consigned from: | £ | |
| British Countries | 3,429,259 | 1,967,636 |
| Foreign Countries | 8,933,020 | 5,251,986 |
| Total Imports | 12,362,279 | 7,219,622 |
| Re-exported | 10,962 | 7,701 |
| Total retained | 12,351,317 | 7,211,921 |
| Great Hundred =120 eggs. |