§ Mr. Oramasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state, for the last convenient year, the rates and amount of Customs duty paid on imports of office furniture, domestic furniture, domestic electric appliances, glassware and pottery, respectively, from each of the member countries of the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. BarberGoods within these general descriptions are subject to duty at various rates, depending on the precise nature of each article involved. These are set out in detail in the Customs140W Tariff, but some of the principal rates are as follows:
Description Rate (ad valorem except where otherwise stated) Office and domestic furniture of metal generally 15 per cent. of other materials 20 per cent. Domestic electric appliances mainly from 10 per cent. to 17½ per cent. e.g. Cookers 10 per cent. Refrigerators 15 per cent. Hairdryers 17½ per cent. Glassware Laboratory 33⅓ per cent. Domestic generally 30 per cent. Other generally 25 per cent. Pottery Ordinary tableware and cooking utensils. 25s. 0d. per cwt. Fancy and ornamental 90s. 0d. per cwt. Domestic sanitary fittings 25 per cent. Laboratory 33⅓ per cent. Industrial 20 per cent. I regret that information regarding the amounts of customs duty paid on goods of these descriptions imported from each of the member countries of the E.E.C. is not available.