§ Mr. GOULDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the claim of the Marshall Shipping Company, Limited, against the Board of Trade, in which the company seeks to recover from the Board, as the successors of the Ministry of Shipping, the sum of £20,000 imposed by that Ministry as a condition of granting the company a permit for the sale of the steamship "Holms Island" whether it is with his knowledge that the Board is defending such action; and upon what authority it was decided to impose this charge without the authority of Parliament?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEThe answers to the first and second parts of this question are in the affirmative. The circumstances in which licences in such cases were imposed are stated in the Memorandum on the War Charges Validity Bill (Cmd. 1843).