§ Mr. Macleanasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number of ships which have been sold to foreign countries in the past two years; whether any part of the subsidy was paid in respect of any of those ships; and, if so, whether he can state the amount of subsidy and the owners of those ships?
Mr. StanleyDuring the years 1935 and 1936, 306 ships of 100 tons gross and over were transferred from the United Kingdom register to foreign countries. This total relates to vessels of all kinds. In so far as the voyages made by any of those ships while under the British flag fulfilled the conditions laid down in the British Shipping (Assistance) Acts, tramp shipping subsidy would be payable, but I fear the information asked for in the last part of the question is not readily available and could only be obtained at the expense of considerable labour. No ship built with Government assistance under Part II of the British Shipping (Assistance) Act, 1935, has been transferred to a foreign flag.