§ 91. Sir C. Osborneasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the French Government have recently given a subsidy of £900,000 to a French shipbuilding company to take a contract from British shipbuilders for a 21,000 tons Norwegian passenger liner by undertendering by £500,000; in view of the unemployment in the North-East shipbuilding yards, what help he proposes to give to British builders to meet this competition, and find work for the unemployed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MarplesI know that a subsidy helped a French shipyard to get this order last summer. We take every opportunity of bringing home to Governments which subsidise their shipyards the harmful consequences of their policies, and we left the French in no doubt about our strong feelings on this occasion.