HC Deb 19 December 1956 vol 562 c193W
151. Mr. Awbery

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many ships registered in ports of the United Kingdom were transferred during the past two years to flags of convenience, such as the Panamanian, Liberian, Costa Rican and Bermudian; and to what extent the ownership changed with the flag.

Mr. Watkinson

Seventy-four ships of 500 gross tons and over were transferred from United Kingdom registry to registry in Panama, Liberia or Costa Rica during 1954 and 1955, and 36 ships during the first eleven months of this year. Three ships were transferred from the United Kingdom register to registry in Bermuda during 1955 and 1956. These remain British ships flying the British flag. No ship was transferred to Bermuda registry during the first eleven months of this year. In all these transfers the legal ownership of the ships was changed.

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