HC Deb 04 May 1937 vol 323 cc946-53
11. Sir Arnold Wilson

asked the President of the Board of Trade which of the three British ships which were officially reported by the British Embassy at Hendaye to have entered Bilbao under British naval protection soon after dawn on 23rd April were chartered by a limited liability company formed for the purpose by the Spanish Embassy in London, and which, if any, were proceeding on private charter on behalf of British subjects normally engaged in trade with Spain?

17. Mr. Grant-Ferris

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number and names of vessels which have within the last six months cleared from this country on time charter for Spanish ports in the occupation of the Spanish Government; and by whom these vessels have been chartered?

20. Captain A. Graham

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many steamers are on time charter to Messrs. Pope and McEwen, to the Veronica Steamship Company, and to Mr. Reginald Jones, respectively, for the despatch of commodities to Spain?

Mr. Runciman

Information as to the persons to whom British ships are chartered is not collected or compiled by the Board of Trade, nor have the Board of Trade any means of knowing what vessels are on charter to particular persons.

Sir A. Wilson

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider strengthening the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act in order to prevent the transfer of ships to the British flag, as in this case, unless they are owned, manned and under the control of British subjects?

Mr. Runciman

The provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act must be strictly complied with, and we cannot admit to the Register those which are not properly qualified.

Mr. Shinwell

Is not the transfer of British ships to foreign owners the normal and regular practice?

Mr. Runciman

It is exactly the opposite in this case.

14. Captain Cazalet

asked the President of the Board of Trade by whom the three vessels "Seabank," "Seven Seas Star," and "Joyce Llewellyn," now engaged in trade to Spain, have been chartered; whether any or all of them have been transferred to the British flag within the last six months; and, if so, the circumstances of such transfer?

Mr. Runciman

The "Seabank" and the "Joyce Llewellyn" are the same ship, "Seabank," being the present name. I have no information with regard to the chartering of this ship, or of the "Seven Seas Star." The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative, and the third part does not arise.

Captain Cazalet

Are there any conditions as to the nationality of the officers and crew that have to be fulfilled before a ship can be transferred to the British flag?

Mr. Runciman

If my hon. and gallant Friend desires to see the conditions under which a vessel can be transferred to the British flag, I shall be very glad to let him have the documents.

18. Mr. Grant-Ferris

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will investigate the formation of all new shipping companies with the object of ascertaining whether they camouflage activities of the Spanish Government under which we shall be compelled to use our Fleet to protect on the high seas vessels really belonging to another Power?

Mr. Runciman

The information referred to by my hon. Friend cannot be elicited from an examination of the documents filed under statutory requirements with the Registrar of Companies.

21. Captain A. Graham

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will investigate the purchase of the Belgian steamer "Morna" by Messrs. Billmeir and Company of London, its renaming as the "Stanmore," and its use in blockade running in the Spanish civil war, with the object of ascertaining whether, under the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1894 and 1906, the transfer to the British flag is genuine or not; and whether, in the latter case, it should be cancelled?

Mr. Runciman

The "Morna" was a British ship up to 11th December, 1936, when she was transferred to the Norwegian flag. She was subsequently transferred to the Panama flag. She was again transferred to the British flag on 15th April, 1937. The change of name to "Stanmore" has been sanctioned. The ship is owned by the Stanhope Steamship Company, which is a company entitled to own a British ship. No question of cancellation of registry, therefore, arises. The latest information in my possession is that the ship is on a voyage to Valencia.

22. Mr. Petherick

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the capital of the firm of J. A. Billmeir and Company, of London, owners of the steamship "Stanbrook," which was recently protected by His Majesty's Ship "Hood" during her passage to Bilbao, or the money with which the firm is operating, is British owned; if the company owns any other ships and the dates of their purchase; if the owners are British subjects; and whether this company is acting as agents for any foreign Government?

27. Mr. Donner

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the names of the ships purchased or chartered by Messrs. J. A. Billmeir and Company since 1st January, 1937; and from whom these ships were acquired?

32. Mr. Emmott

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the date of the purchase or charter by Messrs. J. A. Billmeir and Company, of London, of the steamships "Stanbrook," "Standale," "Stanholme," "Stancroft," "Stancourt," "Stancrest," "Stanhill," and "Stangrove"; and to what Spanish ports these vessels have been trading since the dates of their purchase or charter?

Mr. Runciman

Messrs. J. A. Billmeir and Company, Limited, own no ships, but are associated with the Stanhope Steamship Company, which is a company registered in the United Kingdom in 1934 and entitled to own British ships. The directors of this latter company are British, and, according to the Register, 30,500 of the 32,150 shares of the company are held by them.

Mr. Mander

Is there anything unpatriotic in supplying food to starving people?

Mr. Garro Jones

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why his hon. Friends show no similar curiosity in regard to German and Italian ships transferred to the Spanish rebel flag, thereby evading the blockade?

23. Mr. Petherick

asked the President of the Board of Trade the average freights for similar cargoes at present being obtained for cargoes from British ports to Bilbao and Bayonne, Valencia and Oran, and Barcelona and Marseilles, respectively?

Mr. Runciman

As the result of inquiries made by the Board of Trade, information has been obtained as to current freight rates on coal from South Wales ports to the ports mentioned in the question. This indicates that the rates to Barcelona and Valencia are about 25s. per ton as compared with approximately 12s. to Marseilles and Oran (the quotation in the latter case relating to a much larger vessel than in the other cases) and that the respective rates for Bilbao and Bayonne are about 22s. and 7s. I am informed also that the rate for time charter business for Spanish ports is about 15s. 3d. per ton on dead weight as com- pared with about 7s. to 7s. 6d. for the other ports.

Mr. Petherick

Is there any reason why the lives of sailors in His Majesty's Navy should be imperilled by having to protect ships engaged in this very hazardous trade which are making such high profits as disclosed by the answer?

Mr. James Griffiths

Is it not desirable that the Welsh export trade with Spain should be kept up and not lost, having regard to the serious unemployment in that area?

Mr. Runciman

Such protection as is given by the British Navy to British merchant shipping is given irrespective of the amount of profit.

Mr. Shinwell

Does not this increase in freights gladden the right hon. Gentleman's heart?

Mr. J. J. Davidson

Will the right hon. Gentleman take note of the objection of hon. Members opposite to high profits?

24. Mr. Petherick

asked the President of the Board of Trade the dates of registration of the firms owning the steamships "Marie Llewellyn," "Joyce Llewellyn," "Seven Seas Spray," "Marvia," "Thorpehall," and "Jenny," now or recently engaged in running to Spanish ports; when these ships were bought by the respective owners; whether the owners are British subjects; whether the capital of the firms or the money with which they are operating is British owned; and whether the firms are acting as agents for any foreign Government?

Mr. Runciman

As the answer to the first two parts of the question involves a complex statement, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The owners of the ships are private companies registered in the United Kingdom. I have no information as to the ultimate source of the capital with which these companies are operating, nor whether they are acting as agents for any foreign Government.

Mr. Petherick

Will the right hon. Gentleman use his endeavours to find out the answer to the last two parts of the question?

Mr. Mander

Is this part of the information supplied by the Marquis del Moral?

Following is the statement:

Name of Ship. Name of Owners. Date of Registration of Companies. Date ships were purchased.
"Marie Llewellyn" Dillwyn Steamship Co., Ltd. 23rd January, 1937 25th January, 1937
"Joyce Llewellyn" (renamed "Sea Bank".) Veronica Steamship Co., Ltd. 19th December, 1936 26th January, 1937
"Seven Seas Spray" Veronica Steamship Co. Ltd. 19th December, 1936 22nd March, 1937
"Marvia" Thameside Shipping Co., Ltd. 25th November, 1936 30th November, 1936
"Thorpehall" ex "Bazan." Westcliff Shipping Co., Ltd. 23rd October, 1936 26th October, 1936
"Jenny" Trent Maritime Co., Ltd. 12th February, 1937 On or about 25th March, 1937

29. Mr. Donner

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any ships registered under the Spanish or other flags have been transferred to the British flag since 1st January of this year?

Mr. Runciman

No Spanish ships have been transferred to the United Kingdom register since 1st January, but 47 ships of other foreign nationalities have been so transferred; 37 of these were small vessels of under 1,000 tons gross. In addition, 10 ships of foreign nationality, of which one is a small Spanish sailing ship, have been transferred to the British flag in British Oversea Dominions and Protectorates.

Mr. George Griffiths

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether Franco has taken over the Donner, Lennox-Boyd and Cazalet ships?

30. Mr. Lennox-Boyd

asked the President of the Board of Trade the names of the firms owning the ships "Marie Llewellyn," "Joyce Llewellyn," "Seven Seas Spray," "Marvia," "Thorpehall," and "Jenny," now en-

Name of ship. Name of owners. Date of Fortnightly Supplement to Lloyd's Register 1936/7 in which Companies' names appear.
"Marie Llewellyn" … … Dillwyn Steamship Co., Ltd. … 15th February, 1937.
"Joyce Llewellyn" (renamed "Sea Bank"). Veronica Steamship Co., Ltd. … 15th February, 1937.
"Seven Seas Spray" … … Veronica Steamship Co., Ltd. … 15th February, 1937.
"Marvia" … … Thameside Shipping Co., Ltd 30th December, 1936.
"Thorpehall" … … Westcliff Shipping Co., Ltd. … 16th November, 1936.
"Jenny" … … Trent Maritime Co., Ltd. … Not yet published.
31. Mr. Emmott

asked the president of the Board of Trade the number of port gaged in trade to territories occupied by the Spanish Government; and whether the names of these firms appear in the current list in Lloyd's Register?

Mr. Runciman

I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the particulars for which he asks, together with the dates on which the names of the companies owning the ships appeared in the Fortnightly Supplement to Lloyd's Register.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for his reply, may I ask regarding the last sentence whether any of the names of these firms do appear in the current list in Lloyd's Register?

Mr. Runciman

I could not say without refreshing my memory, but that is the source from which we get our information.

Mr. Gallacher

Is this some of the shot and shell which the Marquis del Moral promised to hon. Members if they voted against the Government?

Following are the particulars:

clearances effected by the Veronica Steam-ship Company, of Porthcawl, since its formation; and between what ports the vessels belonging to this company have traded?

Mr. Runciman

According to Lloyd's daily shipping index, vessels registered as owned by the Veronica Steamship Company had made, prior to 28th April, six clearances in trading between the ports of Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Gijon, Santander and Valencia.