§ Mr. L. SMITHasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) what is the present number of Customs officials at Harwich and how this number compares with the number employed in September, 1931; what is the present ratio of the cost of passing imports through the Customs at this port to the value of the goods imported; and how such ratio compares with that of January of this year;
(2) what is the approximate ratio of the cost of Customs collection to the value of goods imported into the country; and how such ratio compares with the average in 1929 and 1930?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe present number of Customs officials at Harwich is 151, as compared with 108 in Sep- 1617W tember, 1931. The staff of the Department of Customs and Excise is engaged upon the collection of both Customs and Excise duties, and information as to the separate cost of the collection of Customs duties could not readily be obtained. A comparison of costs with the values of goods imported could only be misleading, but I may say that the costs of collection of Customs and Excise duties is estimated at 1.71 per cent. of the estimated revenue for this year as compared with 1.76 per cent. in 1931–32, and 1.88 per cent. in 1930–31.
Description. 1913. 1931. 1932. s. d. s. d. s. d. Cherries … … … 46 0 44 9 73 9 Gooseberries … … … 15 6 25 0 32 3 Plums*:— Egg … … … 10 3 14 9 26 3 Rivers Early … … … 25 9 35 6 42 9 Victoria … … … 21 6 42 0 51 6 * The prices for plums relate to August only.