§ 17. Mr. Thorneasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any British firms tendered for the 13 merchant ships for the Turkish Government; and why the contract was given to a German and not to a British firm?
Mr. StanleyI assume that the hon. Member has in mind the contracts which are reported to have been concluded in the 171 spring of last year. I understand that the United Kingdom firms which were in negotiation for the orders were unable to accept them on the terms of payment proposed at that time by the Turkish Government. I regret that there was no action which the Government could have taken to secure that these orders should have been placed in British rather than in foreign shipyards.