§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping whether he can give a general average of the increase in cost of freights from August, 1939, to the nearest convenient date?
§ Colonel LlewellinSo far as tramp ships are concerned practically all homeward cargo is carried on behalf of the Government in ships time chartered to the Government. For these cargoes there is no freight rate which can be compared with peace-time open market rates. As regards liners, rates for homeward cargoes are about 95 per cent, above those of August, 1939, and for outward cargoes they range between 50 and 70 per cent, above.