§ Sir J. POWERasked the President of the Board of Trade the increase in the consumption of raw material by the real silk industry since the introduction of the Silk Duties?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMThe following table shows the weight of the imports less re-exports of the undermentioned descriptions of raw silk and silk yarn into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, registered during each of the years 1925 to 1929.
relate to the output of a substantial part of the trade in 1927, 1928 and the first three quarters of 1929 show that, comparing the number of buttons made in the period January to September in each of these years, there was an increase in 1928 compared with 1927 of about 5 per cent. and that in 1929 the increase relative to 1927 was about 22 per cent. It is not known how far the kinds of buttons made were similar in the three periods, and the descriptions of buttons liable to duty have not been stated separately. I regret that I am not in a position to furnish data relating to prices, and with reference to the particulars of imports and exports I would refer the hon. Member to columns 1998 and 2010 of the OFFICIAL REPORT for 27th February, 1929, and to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Willesden (Mr. D. G. Somerville) on 4th February last.