§ Sir W. Edgeasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the announcement by the Union Castle Company that they propose to withdraw, and presumably to scrap, three liners hitherto running on the Cape route; whether he will consider the desirability of representing to the company and to other shipping companies the advisability of not, at the present time, scrapping any vessels of the kind and whether he will make a statement as to the wishes of the Government in this matter?
§ Mr. StanleyI am aware that the Union Castle Mail Steamship Company, Limited, have recently withdrawn certain passenger liners from service and are selling them for scrapping in the United Kingdom. These were old vessels which have been replaced by modern ships. The 1135W Merchant Ship Reserve Advisory Committee has not recommended the purchase of these ships for the Merchant Ship Reserve. In these circumstances, I have no objection to the sale of the vessels for scrapping in this country.