HC Deb 22 September 1931 vol 256 cc1448-9
12. Mr. PERRY

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total declared value of the retained imports of articles of food and drink into the United Kingdom, giving the particulars separately relating to Empire and non-Empire countries for the years 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1928, 1929, and 1930?

The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)

As the answer involves a number of figures

The total declared value of the retained imports of articles of food and drink into the United Kingdom during the years specified was given on Tuesday last in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Buckrose. Similar particulars, distinguishing the retained imports consigned from British and foreign countries, respectively, have not been calculated in respect of the whole period, but the following table shows, so far as the information is available, the value of the retained imports of articles of food and drink into the United Kingdom consigned from British and foreign countries respectively, and the proportions of the total imports of these commodities that were consigned from these countries. Throughout the period the retained imports amounted to over 90 per cent. of the total imports from both British and foreign countries.

Imports of Food and Drink into the United Kingdom.
Retained Imports. Proportion of Total Imports.
Year. From British Countries. From Foreign Countries From Britis Countries. From Foreign Countries.
Million £. Million £. Per cent. Per cent.
1911 … … … — — 28.5 71.5
1912 … … … — — 29.5 70.5
1913 … … … 71.6 199.5 26.9 73.1
1914 … … … — — 28.8 71.2
1917 … … … — — 33.5 66.5
1928 … … … 184.1 302.6 38.6 61.4
1929 … … … 175.4 316.3 36.4 63.6
1930 … … … 164.7 271.9 38.3 61.7

Note.—Owing to territorial changes the figures for 1928 onwards are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years. In particular, the figures for 1928 to 1930 relate to imports into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including those from the Irish Free State, while the figures for 1911 to 1917 relate to imports into the British Isles as a whole and, therefore, include imports into Southern Ireland from countries abroad.