§ Captain BULLOCKasked the President of the Board of Trade the aggregate tonnage of British shipping now laid up as a result of depressed trade, and how this figure compares proportionately with the similar figures of the other chief maritime nations?
§ Mr. W. R. SMITHAccording to the quarterly returns of laid-up tonnage issued by the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, the net tonnage of British shipping reported as laid up on 1st July, 1930, in ports of the United Kingdom was 926,232, the corresponding figure for 1st April, 1930, being 884,104. These totals represent 7.4 per cent. and 7.1 per cent., respectively, of the total net tonnage of vessels registered under Part I of the Merchant Shipping Act,1762W 1894, at ports of the United Kingdom. According to the quarterly return issued by the United States Shipping Board, United States vessels exceeding 1,000 tons gross which were laid up on 1st April, 1930, represented an aggregate tonnage of 1,992,419 tons gross or 20.5 per cent. of all United States vessels of 1,000 tons gross or over (not including lake or river tonnage). Other information available regarding vessels laid up in foreign countries is, except in the case of Italy, unofficial, and shows that the gross tonnage of vessels, whether national or other, laid up on 1st April, 1930, in the ports of the countries named below compared as follows with the tonnage shown in the 1929–30 edition of Lloyd's Register Book as owned in those countries:
— Gross tons laid up. Percentage of total national tonnage. Norway 302,730 9.4 Italy 290,987 8.9 France (15th April) 204,682 6.1 Sweden 97,013 6.4 Denmark 68,126 6.5