§ Mr. SHINWELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the names of the shipping firms who are still due payments to the Government on account of reparation ships disposed of by the Shipping Liquidation Board; and whether he proposes to exact from these firms interest on the amounts still due?
§ Viscount WOLMERI have been asked to reply. There are 19 firms who have not yet completed payment for ex-enemy vessels bought by them; in these cases the original terms of sale provide for payment of a portion of the purchase price in instalments, and in all cases except two provision is made in the original terms for the payment of interest on the outstanding balance of the purchase price. It is not usual to publish the names of the firms concerned in cases of this kind, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by publishing them in this instance.