§ 46. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the£12 million rise in the trade gap in April, what estimate he has made of the extent to which this was due to a release of pent-up goods after 27th April, when the import surcharge was reduced from 15 per cent. to 10 per cent.; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RedheadImports delayed to await the reduction of the import charge on the 27th April may have contributed slightly to the rise in imports in April and appear to have had a substantial effect in May.