§ 26. Mr. HACKINGasked the President of the Board of Trade the largest, the smallest and the average percentage increase between the most recent and the previous list of customs duties issued by the Polish Government?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMOn the assumption that the question refers to the tariff changes made in December Last, of which particulars were given in the "Board of Trade Journal" of 11th December, and that information is desired with regard to duties which would be applicable to 779 imports from the United Kingdom, the answer is that the smallest increase made was one of 6 per cent., the largest, one of 708 per cent.; and the arithmetical average of the 59 rate increases was 102 per cent. The right hon. Gentleman will no doubt be aware that the increases in question covered only a very small part of the tariff and that the total volume of United Kingdom exports affected by the changes was inconsiderable.
§ Mr. HACKINGCan the President say whether there is any reason to suppose that these increases are due to his Tariff Truce proposals?
§ Mr. GRAHAMNo, I do not think they are due to those proposals. All I know is that it is entirely in the interests of European and British recovery that we should get tariffs down at the earliest possible moment.