§ Sir W. Smithersasked the President or the Board of Trade how many bales of United States cotton were imported in each 12-monthly period since Lend-Lease began; what was the total loss to the taxpayer between the purchasing price and selling price including cost of freight, insurance, administration and all other costs; and if he will show the profit on the 600,000 of barter cotton, separately.
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§ Mr. Marquand:The United State Government is not calling upon His Majesty's Government to pay for any of the cotton imported since Lend-Lease began, other than that part which remained in our stocks on 2nd September 1945; and there is no loss to the taxpayer The number of bales of American cotton imported under Lend-Lease is as follows:
Year ended 31st March, 1942 506,574 31st March, 1943 607,909 31st March, 1944 1,140,800 31st March, 1945 562,333 Six months ended 3oth September, 1945 326,154 With regard to the last part of the Question, profits on the sale of barter cotton amounted to about £1000,000.