§ 43. Captain BARNETTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller whether he is aware that in the allocation of shipping space from American ports to this country preference has on more than one occasion of late been given to the naturalised Austrian firm of Weiss, Biheller, and Brooks, Limited; whether any reason exists for such preference; whether British firms engaged in the same business have been unable to obtain tonnage; and, if so, whether steps will be taken in future to ensure that priority is given to British importers rather than to alien enemy firms?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of SHIPPING (Sir Leo Chiozza Money)I have made inquiry, and am informed that space has been allotted to the firm in question on exactly the same basis as to all other shippers of the same commodity. No preference has been given to this particular firm and others have received a proper share of the space. The last part of the question does not, therefore, arise.