§ Mr. W. BENNasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total duty collected, since its imposition, on radium compounds; and whether he has any in- 1454W formation as to the amount of radium and radium compounds at present in this country.
Mr. SAMUELFrom 1st October, 1921, to 14th January, 1927, duty was chargeable on the following radium compounds only, viz.:—radium bromide and radium barium chloride. The duty recorded as collected on these substances from 1st January, 1922, to 14th January, 1927, was £6. The figures for 1st October, 1921, to 31st December, 1921, are not available. From 15th January, 1927, duty became chargeable on all radium compounds, and the amount of duty recorded as collected for the period 15th January, 1927, to 14th May. 1928, when the duty was suspended, was £80. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 24th January last by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health to Questions on the subject of radium supplies by the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) and the hon. Member for North Tottenham (Mr. R. Morrison). I have no further information on the point.