§ 51. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Transport which foreign countries have, during each of the last 10 years, exercised discrimination against 159W British ships; how many British ships have been adversely affected; what steps he has taken to ascertain and negative the reasons for this adverse discrimination against British ships; and with what results.
§ Mr. MarplesHer Majesty's Government have made 74 formal protests about flag discrimination to the Governments of 31 foreign countries during the last ten years and I will circulate a list in the OFFICIAL REPORT. In some other countries Her Majesty's Government have taken informal action. It would not be in the public interest to particularise. British shipping is affected directly or indirectly by every act of flag discrimination. Her Majesty's Government have take all possible steps, often in co-operation with other European Governments, to combat such discrimination. It is not always possible to judge the immediate effect of representations but in 15 cases the results could be considered satisfactory.
The following is the list:
The 31 foreign countries to which formal protests have been made during the last ten years are as follows (the figures in brackets indicate the number of formal protests made to each country):
Argentina … … (4) Bolivia … … (1) Brazil … … (6) Bulgaria … … (1) Chile … … (8) China … … (1) Colombia … … (3) Cuba … … (1) Czechoslovakia … … (1) Ecuador … … (4) Egypt … … (1) Finland … … (1) France … … (1) Guatemala … … (1) Hungary … … (1) Indonesia … … (2) Israel … … (2) Japan … … (6) Lebanon … … (2) Libya … … (1) Philippines … … (1) Poland … … (4) Portugal … … (1) Roumania … … (2) Saudi Arabia … … (1) Spain … … (5) Syria … … (2) Turkey … … (1) Uruguay … … (2) U.S.A. … … (3) Yugoslavia … … (4) (74)