§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping how many merchant ships have been handed over to His Majesty's Government by Germany but have not yet been disposed of; how many merchant ships have still to be handed over by Germany and how it is proposed to dispose of these ships; and whether any ships will be sold to neutrals in the late War?
Colonel WILSON:The total number of German vessels delivered under the Armistice arrangements and ceded under the terms of the Peace Treaty up to the 19th June, 1920, was 378, aggregating about 1,900,000 gross tons. Of these 260, of 1,397,000 gross tons, have been allocated to the temporary management of Great Britain pending a decision by the Reparation Commission for final ownership. I understand that between three-quarters and one million gross tons still remain to be ceded by Germany—the exact figures depend upon the determination by the Reparation Commission of several questions still outstanding. The Reparation Commission have not as yet allocated any vesels to final ownership, 461W and it has not yet been possible to settle the final conditions of sale in the case of vessels allocated to Great Britain.