§ Mr. HOODasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount was paid for duty on imports of cigars from Cuba during the six months ended 30th September, 1918, 1919, and 1920, respeclively; and, of the last-mentioned amount, what sum represents the ad valorem duty?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIt would be possible to give the quantities and declared values of cigars imported from any particular country during a given period, but not the yield of duty, as duty is normally not paid on importation, but when the cigars are taken out of bond, and then no record of the country of consignment is kept. Any figures comprising the payments of duty on cigars for the six months ending 30th September, 1918, 1919 and 1920, respectively, would in any case be misleading, as for the first few months after this year's Budget, clearances from bond were abnormally low, partly owing to the fact that stocks in retailers hands had just been replenished on anticipation of a rise in Cuban prices which shortly after-wards took place, and partly owing to the desire of traders to know what the result of the Budget discussions on the cigar duties would be before they cleared.