HC Deb 24 December 1929 vol 233 cc2114-5W
Commander BELLAIRS

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give, for purposes of comparison, the United Kingdom's exports in value to the Empire in 1928 and the value those exports would have been if we had still retained the same proportion of the imports of each Dominion and Colony as we held1 in 1913?

Mr. W. R. SMITH

The value of the exports of United Kingdom produce and manufactures consigned in 1928 to British countries was £327,668,000, of which £288,740,000 represented exports to countries which were included in 1913 among British Dominions, Colonies and other territories and £35,136,000 were exports to the Irish Free State, the corresponding figure for 1913 not being included in the record of exports. The exports of imported merchandise consigned to British countries in 1928 were valued at £22,779,000, of which £13,032,000 represented exports to the countries included in 1913 among British Dominions, Colonies and other territories, and £9,639,000 exports to the Irish Free State.

The following statement shows the value of the total imports into the principal British countries overseas in 1928, the percentage recorded as imported in 1913 from the United Kingdom, and the figure representing that percentage of the total imports in 1928. It is, of course, limited to those countries which formed part of the British Empire in 1913, and our exports in 1928 to the Irish Free State are not included. Detailed

Imports into British Countries Overseas.
Countries. Proportion from United Kingdom in 1913. Total Imports in 1928. Value of the proportion of Column (2) shown in Column (1).
(1). (2). (3).
Per cent. £'000. £'000.
Dominion of Canada 21.4 259,956 55,631
(Years ended 31at March next following).
Commonwealth of Australia 52.4 146,897 76,974
(Calendar year 1913 and year to 30th June, 1928).
Dominion of New Zealand 61.1 44,842 27,398
Union of South Africa 56.8 77,733 44,152
British India (by Sea) 65.4 197,548* 129,196
(Years ended 31st March next following).
Other Dominions, Colonies and Territories 32.1 243,709 78,231
Total 970,685 411,582
* Including an estimate in respect of Government Stores from the United Kingdom; the actual value of such stores is not yet available.