HC Deb 05 December 1934 vol 295 cc1787-90

Resolution reported:

"That it is expedient— (1) For the purpose of helping the owners of vessels registered in the United Kingdom to compete with foreign shipping in receipt of subsidies from foreign Governments, to authorise the Board of Trade upon recommendations made by an advisory committee to pay subsidies in respect of tramp voyages or parts of tramp voyages carried out in the year nineteen hundred and thirty-five, and to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of sums not exceeding in the aggregate two million pounds for the purpose of paying such subsidies and any expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Board of Trade in connection therewith:

Provided that—

  1. (a) such subsidies shall be payable only in respect of voyages, or parts of voyages, carried out by vessels to which this Resolution applies, being vessels 1788 registered in the United Kingdom which have been British ships since the first day of January, ninteen hundred and thirty-four or, in the case of vessels completed after that date, since they were completed, and being, in the case of vessels completed after that date, vessels which were built in the United Kingdom;
  2. (b) no such subsidy shall be payable in respect of any voyage, or part of a voyage, if in the opinion of the said advisory committee the voyage was undertaken without due regard to the necessity for co-operation between the owners of British vessels in furthering the purpose for which such subsidies are authorised by this Resolution;

(2) To provide—

  1. (a) for the making, within two years after the passing of any Act for giving effect to this Resolution, to persons qualified under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, to own British ships, of advances not exceeding in all ten million pounds out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom for the purpose of enabling them to build or modernise vessels in accordance with proposals approved by the Board of Trade, so, however, that no such proposals shall be 1789 so approved unless the proposals provide
    1. (i) for the building or modernisation of vessels to which this Resolution applies (not being vessels constructed or adapted to carry more than twelve passengers) which are, were, or will be, as the case may be, employed in the carriage of commercial cargoes and not employed mainly in voyages between ports within the United Kingdom, Irish Free State, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands, or in maintaining regular services between such ports and ports in the continent of Europe between the River Elbe and Brest inclusive;
    2. (ii) for the demolition of such vessels as aforesaid in the proper tion of two gross tons to be demolished for every gross ton of the vessels to be built, and of one gross ton to be demolished for every gross ton of the vessels to be modernised:
    3. (iii) that the vessels to be demolished will not, without the consent of the Board of Trade, be demolished outside the United Kingdom, and that the vessels to be built or modernised will be built or modernised in Great Britain;
  2. (b) for enabling the Treasury to borrow under Section one of the War Loan Act, 1919, for the purpose of providing for such advances;
  3. (c) for the application to the redemption of debt of sums received by way of interest on or repayment of such advances.

(3) To provide for the repeal of Section eighteen of the Economy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1926.

(4) To provide for other matters connected with the matters aforesaid.

The vessels to which this Resolution applies are all ships which are neither fishing vessels nor constructed or adapted for the carriage of liquid cargoes in bulk nor so constructed or adapted that the space insulated for the carriage of special cargoes is in excess either of fifty thousand cubic feet or of 10 per cent. of the total space available for cargo; and in this Resolution the expression "tramp voyage" means a voyage in the course of which all the cargo carried is carried under charter party, but does not include any voyage during any part of which more than twelve passengers are carried."

Bill ordered to be brought in upon the said Resolution by Mr. Runciman, Mr. Duff Cooper, and Dr. Burgin.

    c1790
  1. BRITISH SHIPPING (ASSISTANCE) BILL, 137 words