§ 34. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Air if he will state what are the corporations operating in Iraq for whom Lord Inch-cape purchased the 48 surplus vessels for £10,000; whether these corporations have the sole right of conducting the river traffic in Iraq; if any other corporations have these rights; whether they were invited to tender for the vessels; and, I so, with what result?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Philip Sassoon)As regards the first part of the question, the offer was made on behalf of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company, Limited, and the Mesopotamia-Persia Corporation, Limited. The answer to the second part is in the negative. As regards the remaining parts of the question, a number of other invitations to tender were issued but failed to produce any satisfactory offer.