§ Sir Edward du Cannasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out in the Official Report the tonnage of merchant ships ordered by United Kingdom companies for registration outside the United Kingdom in each year since 1983, together with the latest available figure for 1986.
§ Mr. Giles ShawRecords do not allow us to identify the tonnage of merchant ships ordered by United Kingdom companies for registration outside this country, since such tonnage is accounted to the country of registration. We can, however, identify the gross tonnage under construction abroad which was intended for United Kingdom registration when first ordered, but was subsequently registered outside the United Kingdom. This information is as follows:
'000 gross tonnes 1983 147 1984 306 1985 63 January-September 1986 35