§ 1. Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the President of the Board of Trade the value of the goods imported liable to Key Industry Duties during the first four months of the present and the previous year, respectively?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)The answer is in tabular form, and, with the concurrence of my hon. Friend, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
| The following statement shows the value of the goods upon which Key Industry Duty was paid during the periods stated: | ||
| Description. | January to April, 1926. | January to April, 1927. |
| £ | £ | |
| Optical glass, optical elements and optical instruments | 95,778 | 100,496* |
| Scientific glassware, lamp blown ware and laboratory porcelain | 46,641 | 43,899 |
| Scientific instruments; gauges and measuring instruments of precision. | 34,620 | 48,326† |
| Wireless valves and similar rectifiers and vacuum tubes | 57,488 | 44,393 |
| Ignition magnetos‡ and permanent magnets | 16,438 | 11,545 |
| Arc-lamp carbons | 9,343 | 6,973 |
| Hosiery latch needles | 21,235 | 22,191 |
| Metallic tungsten, ferro-tungsten, manufactures of metallic tungsten and rare earth compounds. | 5,760 | 13,636 |
| Synthetic organic chemicals (other than finished and intermediate organic dyestuffs and colours), fine chemicals and fermentation chemicals. | 176,375 | 187,956 |
| Amorphous carbon electrodes | Not dutiable in this period. | 86 |
| Ferro-molybdenum; Ferro-vanadium; Molybdenum and vanadium and compounds thereof. | 3,557 | |
| Total of above | 463,678 | 483,058 |
| * Includes also component parts of optical instruments in this period. | ||
| † Includes also component parts of scientific instruments in this period. | ||
| ‡ Ignition magnetos are subject to Key Industry Duty only when the Key Industry Duty exceeds the duty leviable under Finance Acts, 1925 and 1926, on motor cars, etc. |
§ 2. Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is prepared to arrange for a revision of the classification of the trade and navigation Returns so as to show in the monthly Returns the imports of the goods liable to Key Industry Duties:
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI will consider, in consultation with the Treasury, whether it would be possible to publish in the Trade Returns figures showing for each quarter the value of the imports on which Key Industry Duty has been paid.
§ Mr. HANNONWill my right hon. Friend consider the importance, from the point of view of the industries of this country, of having figures of that kind issued?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI have said that I shall consult with the Treasury. It is a question of expense.
§ Colonel GRETTONWill my right hon. Friend consider whether he cannot include in this suggested Return the whole range of articles subject to duty, instead of confining it to key industries:
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI think all the other articles subject to duty are dealt with in a sufficiently complete manner in the Returns. This is a question of a particular selection out of a general class of articles.