§ Sir William Clarkasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what arrangements exist in each member state of the European Economic Community to exempt from tax income derived by shipping companies from the sale of ships; and what conditions have to be met to qualify for such tax exemption;
(2) which member states of the European Economic Community have investment promotion arrangements comparable to the business expansion scheme; whether such arrangements apply to investment in ships; and what conditions are imposed in each case, including particularly restrictions on the nationality of the operating company, the ability of the companies concerned to hire in management services, the provenance of the ships, the flags under which they sail, the nationality of their crews and the trades or trading areas in which they operate.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.