§ 8. Mr. TAYLORasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to reopon the Mercantile Marine office at Clydebank which was closed in 1917 owing to so many Civil servants enlisting?
§ Sir A. GEDDESIf the interests concerned think that there is now sufficient shipping work to justify the reopening of a separate Mercantile Marine office at Clydebank, and will place their arguments before the Board of Trade, the matter will be fully considered.
§ Mr. TAYLORIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the matter was placed before the Board of Trade in 1917, and the 591 answer was similar to the present one? Seeing that shipping is very much more than it was in that year, and has been increasing, would the right hon. Gentleman consider the reopening, almost immediately, of that office?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI need more information, I think, before incurring the expenditure necessary for keeping the office open.