§ 41. Mr. DENVILLEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of duty received to date from foreign-built ships, whether British-owned or not, brought to be broken up for scrap in this country?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAImported ships are shown separately in the statistics only if they are new. Old ships imported as goods are included under the headings relating to the materials of which they are constructed, e.g., as manufactures of iron or steel.
§ Mr. DENVILLEIs the hon. Member aware that the ship-breaking yards of this country have applied to the Customs; the Customs have referred them to the Import Duties Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee have referred them back to the Customs? Meantime hundreds of men are out of work.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI am not aware of those facts, and I should be inclined to dispute them, because the Import Duties Advisory Committee have had the matter under their consideration.
§ Mr. G. NICHOLSONMay I ask, whether it was the original intention of His Majesty's Government that ships of 17 years of age on the British register should pay Import Duty on coming back to this country to be broken up?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAIt depends for what purpose they come back.