MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether His Majesty's Government propose to make, before the House rises on 8th August, any statement of the policy they propose to pursue and the action, if any, which they propose to take in reference to the Atlantic Shipping Trust, which has recently acquired a large number of British vessels; do they intend to afford any, and, if so, what occasion to this House to discuss the effects of the Trust upon British trade and shipping; and will they do this before entering into any binding agreement with the Trust.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am afraid there is practically no possibility that I 1368 shall be in a position to make any statement before the House rises next week. If any agreement were entered into at any time with the Atlantic Shipping Trust which involved any financial arrangement it would necessarily be subject to the approval of Parliament.