§ Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what quantity of crude oil required for our oil refineries is carried in ships flying the flags of Panama, Liberia, Honduras and Costa Rica.
§ Mr. NeaveIt is estimated that in recent months crude petroleum was imported into the United Kingdom in ships flying the flags of Panama, Liberia, Honduras and Costa Rica at the rate of about 460 thousand tons per month.
§ Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will introduce legislation to enable him to control the chartering of ships of Panama, Liberia, Honduras and Costa Rica for the purpose of carrying imports into this country of crude oil, in view of the lack of control by these countries over the conditions under which ships flying these flags ply for charter.
§ Mr. NeaveNo. It would not be in the best interests of British shipping to apply controls, based on the flag of the ship, to normal commercial operations such as the chartering of ships for the carriage of crude oil to this country.