HC Deb 25 November 1930 vol 245 cc1087-8
50. Captain PETER MACDONALD

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated revenue to be derived from a 10 per cent, registration duty on all imported goods other than essential foodstuffs?

Mr. P. SNOWDEN

By a "10 percent registration duty on all imported goods" the hon. Member presumably means a 10 percent general tariff. I would point out that the yield of such a tariff would depend, not only on what is to be excluded from duty as "essential foodstuffs," but also on the amount of imports at the time the tax was imposed, on the effect of the tax itself in curtailing such imports, and on the extent to which drawbacks would be payable on exports made from, or containing, dutypaid imports. In the absence of data on all these points I am unable to give the estimate asked for.