§ 86. Mr. MARJORIBANKSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there were any special circumstances operating during the current financial year to account for a decrease of £81,000 in the revenue derived from the importation of British West Indian sugar?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENI am not aware of any such special circumstances. The revenue derived from British West Indian sugar fluctuates considerably. For instance, the receipts from this source in the first 11 months of the current financial year, while 20 per cent. below those of the corresponding period of 1928–29, were 50 per cent. above those of the whole of 1927–28.
§ Mr. MARJORIBANKSOn a point of Order. I submit that I am perfectly correct in putting this question for the current financial year. May I ask, as a supplementary question, whether the right hon. Gentleman would include among the special circumstances the ambiguous statement which he made at the beginning of this Parliament, and his obstinate silence since?