§ Mr. W. YOUNGasked the President of the Board of Trade how British shipping compares to-day with reference to tonnage and availability as compared with the last comparable period prior to the War?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe total net tonnage on the register at the end of 1915 was 12,416,406 tons, as compared with 12,119,891 tons at the end of 1913. It would not be in the public interest for me to state exactly how much of the tonnage on the register is now available for general commercial purposes.