§ 61. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Transport what proportion of the total orders for new tonnage by British shipowners were placed at home and abroad respectively, in 1955 and in 1959.
§ Mr. MarplesI have no official information about orders placed abroad, but I understand that about 15 per cent. of the vessels ordered by United Kingdom shipowners in 1955, totalling 368,000 gross tons, and 13 per cent, in 1959, totalling 197,000 gross tons, were placed abroad. If tankers are excluded the figures are about 15 per cent., totalling 174,000 gross tons, in 1955, and 9 per cent, totalling 74,000 gross tons, in 1959.