§ 51. Mr. COUPERasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present 1472 situation in the shipbuilding trade; whether during the past six months there have been any shipbuilding or ship repair orders placed with foreign builders by British shipowners; and how does the position compare with that of the corresponding period for the last two years?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Burton Chadwick)The tonnage under construction in Great Britain and Ireland at the end of the March quarter of 1927 was 1,217,000 gross tons, as compared with 843,000 tons and 1,165,000 gross tons at the end of corresponding quarters of 1926 and 1925, respectively. The tonnage commenced during the March quarter was 580,000 gross tons, as compared with 193,00 gross tons and 202,000 gross tons in the corresponding quarters of 1926 and 1925, respectively. Complete information as to orders placed abroad is not available, but there is nothing to indicate that in respect of such orders there has been any marked difference between the past six months and the corresponding periods of the two preceding year.