§ 23. Sir HENRY NORMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any agreement has been made between the Board of Trade and Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company respecting the supply of wireless telegraph installations to British ships under the Merchant Shipping Convention; and, if so, will he lay it upon the Table?
§ Mr. BURNSThe Board of Trade, in consultation with the representatives of the shipowners, have for some time been negotiating with the Marconi Company with a view to an agreement which, in the event of the Merchant Shipping Convention Bill becoming law, will ensure that the shipowners who, under that measure, will be required to have their ships fitted with wireless installations will be able to obtain this service on reasonable terms. The agreement, which is nearing completion, will not, of course, impose on shipowners any obligation whatever to obtain their installations from this particular company. When the agreement is completed I propose to lay it before Parliament.
§ Sir H. NORMANCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the agreement will be completed before the Shipping Convention Bill is passed through the Committee upstairs?
§ Sir H. NORMANWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether some inquiries or negotiations have taken place with regard to other firms which manufacture wireless apparatus?