§ 12. Mr. Fletcher-Cookeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he estimates would be obtained from imposing an import duty upon cotton and cotton goods, at the same rate as that imposed on rayon and rayon goods, coming from India and Hong Kong, respectively.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe revenue yield would depend upon the extent to which the flow of trade was affected, and so any estimate would necessarily be conjectural. On the basis of the 1955 trade figures, the yield would have been some £4 million.
§ Mr. Fletcher-CookeAlthough my right hon. Friend was unable to give any figures of the actual yield on rayon and rayon goods, surely he could give an indication whether it was greater or less than the estimated figure for cotton and cotton goods.
§ Mr. BrookeThat was not exactly what my hon. Friend asked me. The difficulty arises from the fact that we try not to employ too many people or to keep too many records, and the fact is that it is not essential to keep these detailed records of revenue from different sources for revenue purposes.