§ 72. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the serious effect on employment amongst British seamen, by his decision to grant permission for the transfer of British ships to the Panama Register; and what steps he proposes to take to counteract this effect.
§ Mr. BarnesI do not sanction the transfer of ships to Panama or any other country unless I am satisfied that this can be done without adversely affecting the strength and efficiency of the United Kingdom fleet, and, as the volume of tonnage on the United Kingdom register is gradually increasing, there is steadily more, not less, employment for British seamen—a state of affairs which I hope will long continue.