asked the Minister of Transport what is the total tonnage of British-owned passenger liners; what tonnage has been scrapped or sold in the last year or is about to be scrapped or sold; and what new tonnage has been added to the merchant fleet during the same period.

The total tonnage of U.K. registered passenger vessels at 31st December, 1961, was 2,702,000 gross tons. During 1961 168 thousand gross tons of passenger ships were scrapped or sold abroad. In the same year 126 thousand gross tons of new vessels, together with 39 thousand gross tons of second-hand vessels purchased from abroad, were added to the passenger fleet. I have no official information on ships which may be scrapped or sold in the future.