HC Deb 22 March 1961 vol 637 cc369-70
37. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Minister of Transport what conclusions he has reached following his examination of proposals made by the Chamber of Ship- ping on the needs of the Mercantile Marine.

Mr. Marples

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the right hon. Member on 1st March.

Mr. Shinwell

Am I to understand from a previous Answer to a similar Question earlier this afternoon that all the right hon. Gentleman has done so far arising from his examination of the proposals of the Chamber of Shipping is to provide facilities for shipowners to go to Washington? Is that the position? Does he agree that the time has come to ask the Prime Minister to create a Ministry of Shipping?

Mr. Marples

The answer to the second part of the supplementary question is "No". Referring to the first part, we have done a great deal more than facilitate—not make—arrangements with the chairman of the Chamber of Shipping. We have entered into negotiations with it. As far as its main recommendations are concerned, one of them, Recommendation 4, says: Commercial treaties and trade agreements should embody the strongest possible antidiscrimination clauses. We do that now. Recommendation 5 says: The new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development should include a committee comparable with the Maritime Transport Committee of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation. We achieved that before the Report was published. With regard to some of the more technical recommendations, we are discussing those now, and the chairman has expressed himself satisfied that the problems are being tackled in the right order and at the right speed.

Mr. Shinwell

Is the Minister aware that, in spite of that long rigmarole, there has been a further deterioration in the shipping industry?

Mr. Marples

No. The members of the shipping industry do not share that view, as can be seen from the quotations of shipping shares on the Stock Exchange.