Mr. RUNCIMANasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will supply all available detailed information regarding the values of foreign trade, home production, home consumption, and home prices in 1924 and 1927, or at any later date of manufactures of silk and artificial silk, respectively; and of all classes of articles subject to the following import duties: Key Industry Duties, new Import Duties and Safeguarding Duties?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERAs regards our external trade in these articles, I am sending the right hon. Gentleman a copy of answers given by the Parliamentary Secretary on 13th March and 3rd August last to the hon. Members for West Walthamstow (Mr. Crawfurd) and Nelson (Mr. A. Greenwood), respectively; and with reference to the wholesale prices of home-produced articles of these kinds I am sending him a copy of an answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Peckham (Mr. Dalton) on 11th December. As regards home production, three answers, given to the hon. and gallant Member for Maidstone (Commander3244W Bellairs) on 8th November, the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Sir J. Power) on 20th November, and the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Kelly) on 10th December, are being sent to the right hon. Gentleman. I am endeavouring to secure more comprehensive particulars of home production than have hitherto been available for certain trades, and I will consider in due course whether sufficient is obtained to justify publication. I have no direct information as to home consumption.
Mr. RUNCIMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the issue of quarterly returns showing the value of the foreign trade of the country in each class of manufactured goods subject to import duties on which there is no countervailing excise?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERAll the more important figures are, as far as practicable, published monthly in the "Accounts relating to the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom." As regards the Key Industry Duties, full details of imports and exports have not been separately compiled, but a table is published quarterly in these "Accounts" showing the value of the goods liable to these duties entered for home consumption.
§ Viscount SANDONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the sterling value of the consumption in this country of tobacco, beer, spirits, tea and sugar now, and in 1919, 1913 and 1900, in total, and per head, per adult, and per male adult population, giving also in each case the value, exclusive of that part of it which is caused by duties payable to the State?