§ Sir STUART COATSasked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1726W whether 6,614,258 lbs. of tea were exported to Sweden from the United Kingdom in 1916 as against 245,660 lbs. in 1913; and whether, in view of the shortage of tea, steps have been taken to prohibit entirely such exports to neutral countries in future?
Mr. BALFOURThe facts as stated in the first paragraph of the question are correct. The export of tea was prohibited to certain neutral European destinations, including Sweden, on the 28th June, 1916, and almost the whole of the quantity alluded to was exported in the months before the prohibition was imposed. The export of tea was prohibited to all destinations on l9th February, 1917. Perhaps I should add that the question of what amounts of tea, if any, ought to be allowed to be exported from this country in view of shortage of stocks here is not a matter for the Foreign Office or Ministry of Blockade to decide. All questions of that kind should be addressee) to the Board of Trade or Ministry of Food.