§ 85 and 86. Mr. MABANEasked the President of the Board of Trade, (1) what proportion in value of the imports shown in the Trade and Navigation Returns for 1931 in Class I., Groups A, B, C, D, and E, are consigned from and grown, produced, and manufactured in the Empire overseas as defined in the Import Duties Bill after excluding from the calculation all imports of Class I. mentioned in the First Schedule of the Import Duties Bill;
(2) what proportion in value of the imports shown in the Trade and Navigation Returns for 1931 in Class II, are consigned from, and grown, produced, or manufactured in the Empire overseas as defined in the Import Duties Bill, after excluding from the calculation all imports of Class II, mentioned in the First Schedule of the Import Duties Bill?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)After deducting articles already liable to budgetary duties and those excluded by the First Schedule to the Import Duties Bill, the proportion of the imports into the United Kingdom during 1931 of the remaining articles in Class II, that were consigned from British countries was about 26 per cent. Similar information respecting Class I. is being compiled and I will circulate the desired particulars in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible. I am unable to state what proportion of the goods consigned from British countries was grown, produced or manufactured within those countries.