§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the quantity and descriptions of spirits imported into Ireland from all sources, including Great Britain, for each of the past three years, and on which he in future proposes to charge a duty of 3s. 9d. per gallon; what was the quantity of the same description of spirits exported from Ireland during the same period; and whether he will state what was the average annual number of barrels of beer manufactured in Ireland for the past three years, and the quantity annually exported and imported from all sources during the same time? The hon. Member further asked the right hon. Gentleman how many distilleries there are in England, Ireland, and Scotland, respectively, the average annual output of the distilleries in each country for the past three years, and the total annual produce of a tax of 3s. 9d. per gallon upon the combined annual output of the three countries; and whether he will give the total export of spirits to places outside Great Britain and Ireland and the total imports to the same countries from all outside sources?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEThe quantities of British and foreign spirits imported into Ireland from all sources, including Great Britain, in the years 1906, 1907, and 1908, and the quantities exported from Ireland during the same periods were as follows:—
1906 1907 1908 Gals. Gals. Gals. Imports— British spirits 392,096 431,418 612,224 Foreign spirits 589,369 660,432 553,048 Total 981,465 1,091,850 1,165,272 Exports— British spirits. 7,601,794 8,510,304 8,108,157 Foreign spirits 41,542 51,996 47,455 Total 7,643,336 8,562,300 8,155,612 (The separate descriptions of duty-paid foreign spirits interchanged between Great Britain and Ireland are not available.)
The average annual number of barrels of beer produced in Ireland during the years 1618W 1906, 1907, and 1908, after deducting 6 per cent. for waste, was as follows:—
Bulk barrels, i.e., barrels of 36 gallons, irrespective of gravity 2,908,900 Standard barrels, i.e., barrels of 36 gallons at standard gravity 3,393,700 There is no record of the quantity of beer interchanged between Ireland and Great Britain, and, therefore, the exports and imports from all sources cannot be stated.
The number of distilleries is as follows:—
In England … … 9 In Scotland … … 162 In Ireland … … 30 The average annual output, i.e., the average number of proof gallons distilled in each country, for the past three years was:—
Proof gallons. England … … 13,194,859 Scotland … … 23,808,813 Ireland … … 12,105,499 Assuming that the output remains the same, the total annual produce of the additional 3s. 9d. per gallon would be £9,207,970.
The total exports of spirits from the United Kingdom to places outside the United Kingdom, and also the total imports into the United Kingdom from all outside sources, in the year 1908, were as follows:—
Exported— Proof gallons. British and Irish spirits 8,247,701 Foreign and Colonial spirits 1,302,326 Total 9,550,027 Imported— Foreign and Colonial spirits 7,876,319