§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller how many British Empire ships of over 1,600 tons, for the ten months of this 2043W year, are missing without trace; and whether any of these ships have been included M the weekly Admiralty returns of ships lost through mines and submarines?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The number of British merchant vessels of over 1,600 tons posted as missing during the ten months of this year is twenty. Of these vessels it is considered that three were probably sunk by submarine or mines. Two of them were sunk before the weekly returns were issued, and the third has been included in a weekly return.