§ 12. Mr. McMasterasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the rapidly deteriorating employment position in British shipyards; and what steps he will take to ensure that United Kingdom shipbuilders do not suffer loss to the extent that, in spite of much recent modernisation, many of them will be forced to close down before the present shipping recession ends, and while at the same time building subsidies are being paid to foreign shipyards.
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettWe are aware of the position. The Government will continue to encourage by all means in their power the efforts of the industry to increase their competitive ability and in particular to obtain foreign orders. The Government will lose no opportunity of bringing pressure to bear on foreign Governments that subsidise their shipbuilding industries.
§ Mr. McMasterI thank my hon. and gallant Friend for his Answer. Is he fully aware of the damaging effect on the rest of the economy, particularly on the North-East Coast, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, of the run-down in shipbuilding? Will he look again at the proposal that the same credit guarantees should be given to British shipowners to order boats in Britain as are given to 394 foreigners ordering boats in British yards?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettI can assure my hon. Friend that we are well aware of the serious outlook for the industry at present, but we do not think that better credit terms would have much effect at the moment, because, whatever the position may have been in the past, the reason now for the lack of orders by British shipowners is the world surplus of shipping.
§ Mr. WilleyWill the Parliamentary Secretary say why his right hon. Friend is not here to reply to this Question? Is he aware that in the shipbuilding industry generally we consider that his right hon. Friend is indifferent to the difficulties of shipbuilding? When will he take steps to protect us against the subsidised unfair competition which British shipbuilding is now facing?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettI can assure the hon. Gentleman that my right hon. Friend's absence is not through any lack of concern or interest in shipping and shipbuilding. It is because he is unwell.
§ Sir H. OakshottWill my hon. and gallant Friend draw the attention of his colleagues in the Admiralty to the very cogent letter in The Times this morning from leading-shipowners, and will he try to place orders to get those yards busy again?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettWe are, naturally, in constant consultation with my noble Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty on this very subject.
§ Mr. BenceIs not the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the British Transport Commission has recently placed an order for a cross-Channel ferryboat with a Belgian shipbuilding firm?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettNo, Sir. I cannot say that I am aware of that fact.