§ 15. Sir REGINALD BLAIRasked the President of the Board of Trade the tonnage of ships of British ordering which is being constructed in German shipyards?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 4th May to the hon. Member for Sunderland (Mr. Storey).
§ Mr. H. G. WILLIAMSArising out of the fact that the answer contained no information, can the right hon. Gentleman obtain this information?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have no official means of obtaining it. I can only get vague figures on the subject.
§ Sir R. BLAIRHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the statement in the Press than on the first of last month 44 British ships were under construction in German shipyards?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, I saw that paragraph, but I have not been able to verify the exact figure.
§ Mr. THORNEIs the right hon. Gentleman prepared to find out whether there is any truth in the statement? Is he not aware that the tonnage amounts to 144,000 tons?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI am not aware what the tonnage is. We have no means of obtaining information from foreign shipyards.
§ Mr. MAXTONHas not the right hon. Gentleman the right to ask British ship-owners whether they are having ships built abroad?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have the right to make any inquiries, but it does not lie within my province to compel them to give the information if they do not wish to.