§ 44. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many ships have been transferred from British ownership to ownership in Panama, Liberia, Honduras and Costa Rica, respectively, during the past five years.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterOne hundred and forty-four ships of 500 gross tons and over were transferred from United Kingdom and colonial registry to registry in these countries from 1949 to 1953, and 22 during the first nine months of this year. I am circulating the breakdown of these figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. AwberyIs the Minister aware that those countries are traditionally non-maritime, that while the tonnage of this country remains the same as in 1939 the tonnage of Panama has gone up five times, and that this has been brought about because ship owners are transferring their ships to Panama in order to evade their obligations under the I.L.O.? Will the Minister take steps to prevent transfers of ships to Panama so that these evasions cannot be repeated?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIt is not a question of British ship owners so evading the restrictions. It is true that sales to these countries have increased, but the hon. Member, with his experience, will appreciate that we must be very careful about interfering in sales by British shipping companies of secondhand ships from which they can obtain funds to buy new ones.
§ Mr. AwberyIt is deliberately being done to evade obligations. Will the Minister prevent this?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIf a ship is sold by a British company to a foreign concern, there can be no question of evasion of obligations by the British company.
§ Following are the figures:
§ Transfers from United Kingdom and Colonial Registry of vessels of 500 gross tons and over:
| 1949–53 | 1st January–30th September, 1954 | ||
| To Panama | … | 109 | 6 |
| Liberia | … | 14 | 7 |
| Honduras | … | 1 | — |
| Costa Rica | … | 20 | 9 |
| Total | … | 144 | 22 |