§ SIR CHRISTOPHER FURNESS (Hartlepool)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that vessels entering the ports of the United States of America from certain European countries, for example, Holland and Denmark, are exempt from tonnage dues, whereas tonnage dues are charged upon British vessels entering United States ports, upon the ground that light dues are charged by the British Government upon American vessels which enter British ports; and whether, seeing how few American vessels enter British ports as compared with the number of British vessels which enter United States ports, His Majesty's Government will make representations to the Government of the United States, with a view to an alteration of the law or practice of the United States of America being made, so that British vessels may no longer be at a disadvantage in United States ports as compared with those of other European countries.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURvessels from British ports entering the ports of the United States of America have to pay certain tonnage dues because light dues are charged upon American vessels entering ports in the United Kingdom. The point raised in the second paragraph of the question is one more for the Foreign Office than for the Board of Trade.