HC Deb 25 April 1902 vol 106 cc1322-4
MR. NORMAN

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the formation of an Atlantic shipping combination or trust, with a capital of £34,000,000, the greater part of which is held in the United States, and the registered offices of the combination in America; whether he has any information showing that twenty-eight British trans-Atlantic steamships are controlled by this combination; if so, how many of these are vessels held at the disposal of the Lords of the Admiralty; and what would be the status of vessels controlled by this foreign combination in time of war.

THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER,) Belfast, W.

The answers to the first and second paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question are in the affirmative. Of the vessels at present controlled by the combination, three earn subsidies from the Admiralty, and five are held at the disposal of the Admiralty without subsidy. As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Aston Manor, the Question raised in the last paragraph involves important legal points, which are now being considered, and to which I cannot give a reply within the limits of an answer.

MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)

May I ask whether there is any reason to believe that any subsidised line, other than the White Star, is willing to join the combination, and whether the White Star Line, before joining, informed the Admiralty of the intention?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

I can give no information beyond what I have received officially. With regard to the intentions of any other line, I have received none to the effect suggested by the hon. Member. No notice was given by the White Star Line previously to joining the combination.

MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)

May I ask if there has not been a contravention of the agreement of the White Star Line with the Admiralty?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

No, as the hon. Member will see if he refers to the agreement.

Mr. CHANNING

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether arrangements made by an American syndicate to control the Atlantic traffic, involving control of passenger and freight and other charges, and of the movements of vessels, a large proportion of which belong to British companies, have been submitted in any way to the Board of Trade before these arrangements were made; and whether any, and, if so, what steps have been taken, or will be taken, to fully secure the commercial and political interests of the United Kingdom, and to prevent any foreign interference with British shipping which may conflict with the engagements some of these shipping companies have entered into with the Admiralty.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, Central

The answer to the first paragraph is in the negative. The matter has occupied and is occupying the attention of the Government. As regards the last paragraph, I can add nothing to the reply given yesterday by my hon. friend the Secretary to the Admiralty to the effect that the Admiralty has been able to make such an arrangement with the White Star Line as will preclude the possibility of any of their subsidised or retained merchant cruisers being transferred to a foreign flag without the consent of the Admiralty during the unexpired portion of the current subsidy agreement some three years hence.

MR. CHANNING

May I ask whether, under the Merchant Shipping Acts, the Board of Trade has power to require such arrangements affecting the control of steamships to be submitted to the consideration of the Board of Trade?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I am not aware of any such power.

MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any official information about the recent shipping combination; and, if not, whether he will make inquiries, with a view to determining its effect on British shipping generally.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

No, Sir; the Board of Trade has received no official information on the subject of the recent shipping combination, though a good deal of unofficial information has reached me. The effect of the combination on British shipping generally will receive the careful attention of the Board, but any formal inquiry would appear to me to be premature.