41. Sir F. HALLasked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of the imports which reached this country in 1927 via, the Suez Canal; and what proportion of such imports consisted of foodstuffs and raw materials for industrial purposes?
Mr. WILLIAMSI am unable to state the value of the imports which reach this country by way of the Suez Canal, but the total value of imports arriving by all routes from the countries lying to the east of the Canal amounted in 1927 to £265,000,000. This figure includes imports from Australia and New Zealand valued at £53,000,000 and £47,000,000 respectively, but does not include imports from British South Africa. Particulars are not yet available to show what pro- 230 portion of these imports consisted of foodstuffs and raw materials, but in 1926, when the corresponding aggregate imports were £266,000,000, the proportion represented by food, drink, tobacco and raw materials, and articles mainly un-manufactured, was 89 per cent.