§ 91. Mr. Benceasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many licences have been applied for, and how many refused, for building ships for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by Clyde shipbuilders.
§ 97. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware of the paucity of foreign orders for future execution by British shipyards; and if he will state the principle on which he is now acting in granting or refusing licences for the execution of foreign orders offered by eastern countries to British shipyards.
§ Mr. DigbyBritish shipyards have on order for overseas owners (excluding Commonwealth and Colonial owners) about one and a quarter million gross tons of merchant shipping, which is about 29 per cent. of their total order book. Whilst this figure is, I think, considerable, the rate of new ordering by overseas owners has been disappointing recently. The export of ships to China is prohibited, but, apart from warships and those merchant ships which are of particular strategic value, the export of ships to eastern Europe is not prohibited.