HC Deb 04 December 1933 vol 283 cc1307-8W
Mr. T. WILLIAMS

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of the arms, not including sporting arms, and of the ammunition, not including sporting ammunition; exported from firms in Great Britain during 1930, 1931 and 1932; and what was the value of the total world exports of these two categories of materials for the same period?

Dr. BURGIN

The following table shows the total declared value of the domestic exports from the United Kingdom of arms, ammunition and military and naval stores (excluding sporting arms and ammunition) during the years 1930, 1931 and 1932.

Description. 1930. 1931. 1932.
£'000 £'000 £'000
Arms 1,070 804 975
Ammunition 1,693 1,262 1,313
Torpedoes and submarine mine appliances. 385 296 164
Military, naval and ordnance stores and appliances, not elsewhere specified. 353 588 438
Total arms, ammunition and military and naval stores (except sporting arms and ammunition). 3,501 2,950 2,890

Of these amounts, a very large proportion, averaging over 40 per cent., consisted of exports to British countries, and these exports included a considerable quantity of explosives and accessories intended for industrial: purposes. According to the "Statistical Year-Book of the Trade in Arms and Ammunition", published by the League of Nations the aggregate value of the exports of arms and ammunition from countries furnishing returns to the League, excluding, so far as possible, sporting arms and ammunition, was as follows:

1930. 1931.
Dollars (Gold). Dollars (Gold).
Arms 22,440,200 16,050,500
Ammunition 33,437,200 18,931,300

The scope of these figures is not necessarily the same as that of the United Kingdom statistics. Similar information for 1932 is not yet available.