§ Major WHELERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Dutch Government, in order to assist the unemployed, allow to Dutch shipbuilders 30 per cent. on all wages paid for men building ships, which to-day is causing many barges to be built in Holland for this country instead of being built in English shipyards; and will he consider the desirability of adopting some such policy in this country?
§ Mr. SHAWI have been asked to reply. I understand that it is not the general practice of the Netherlands Government to subsidise wages in shipbuilding or ship repairing, but that in one or two isolated cases financial assistance has been given for the construction of new tonnage. His Majesty's Government is considering various means of relieving unemployment in the shipbuilding industry in this country, but there are obvious objections to the proposal to subsidise wages for this purpose.