§ Sir C. CAYZERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if, taking the Trade Returns of last year as a basis of estimate, he can state the annual cash value to the Dominions of the reduction of duties recommended by the Imperial Conference and the new duties recommended by this body for acceptance?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMI assume that the hon. Member wishes to ascertain the amount of additional or new preferences that would have been accorded to Dominion goods if the proposals made by the late Government to the Imperial Economic Conference, as set out in Command Paper 1990, had been in force and the quantities of such goods had remained the same. It will be seen that the amount by which the duty on currants was to be increased was not named and that the kinds of dried and preserved fruits which were to be696W made dutiable for the first time were not specified. It will also be appreciated that the financial effect of the proposal relating to sugar could not be ascertained unless and until the Sugar Duty had been reduced by a specified amount. I am, therefore, unable to give any figures relating to these items. As regards the others, the figure required is approximately £900,000.