§ Sir R. COOPERasked the Minister of Blockade if it is the fact that the imports of butter into Britain from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Holland fell from 2,216,000 cwts. in 1913 to 698,000 cwts in 1917; and has he information which shows that these countries did not supply butter to Germany in 1917 instead of to Britain?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part of the question, the aggregate exports of butter to Germany from the countries named showed a decrease in 1917 as compared with 1913 of 25 per cent., but the decrease is less than the decrease in the imports into Great Britain. In the case of Holland, however, the export of margarine to the United Kingdom increased, according to Dutch official statistics, by more than 760,000 cwts. during the same period.