§ Mr. GOULDINGasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can state the quantity of cigarettes exported from the United Kingdom to India during the past five years; whether he is aware that the recent sudden increase of the Indian Import Duty on cigarettes from about 4d. to 6s. 8d. per 1,000 is causing dislocation in the British cigarette-making industry as well as the auxiliary industries, such as air-tight tins, etc.; and whether he will make any representations to the Government of India to mitigate the severity of these changes?
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Mr. BUXTONNo figures are available with regard to the export of cigarettes to British India in 1905, but since that year the weight of cigarettes exported to that country has been as follows:—1,477,343 lb. in 1906, 2,044,085 lb. in 1907, 1,856,597 lb. in 1908, and 1,951,504 lb. in 1909. With regard to the last part of the question I beg to refer the hon. Member to answers which have been given in this House within the last few days to questions upon this subject addressed to the Under-Secretary of State for India of which I am sending him copies.