§ SIR HENRY TYLERI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade in reference to the Merchant Shipping (Pilotage) Bill, read the third time on Saturday evening, whether his attention has been called to a memorandum by the Pilotage Authorities of the Trinity Corporation, who state that they con- 594 sider that the above Bill will, "in the event of pilotage certificates being held by the whole of the regular traders through the North Channel, render it impossible to maintain cruising (by British pilot boats) in that channel in wintertime;" and, what steps he proposes to adopt to avoid the risk to life and property that would in that case be incurred?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHThe memorandum to which the hon. Member refers has not been received by the Board of Trade, but it was apparently considered by the Select Committee on Pilotage last year, and they recommended the grant of pilotage certificates to masters and mates of foreign ships, in spite of the opinion expressed by the Trinity House. As I do not think the event anticipated by the Trinity House is likely to occur, I do not think it necessary to consider what steps should be taken.
§ SIR HENRY TYLERMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether any, and, if so, what steps have been taken to secure for the masters and mates of Britsh ships entering foreign ports privileges similar to those intended to be conferred by this Bill on the masters and mates of foreign ships entering British ports; and, whether it will, under any circumstance, be possible for British vessels to enter foreign ports without being compelled to employ foreign pilots?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHAs the hon. Member is aware, there are some foreign ports into which British ships can now enter on the same terms as ships belonging to the country where those ports are situated. With regard to the other countries where those facilities do not exist, I can assure the hon. Member that the matter will not be lost sight of, and that every effort will be made to secure for British ships privileges similar to those which are enjoyed by the vessels of such countries.
§ SIR H. TYLERIn consequence of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, I beg to give notice that I shall call attention to the manner in which this Bill was forced through the House on Saturday.
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHAfter what has fallen from the hon. Member, it is necessary that I should say a word. It was well known that the Pilotage 595 Bill would come on last Saturday, but the hon. Member, who was in the House for some time on that day, did not take the trouble to be in his place when the Bill was taken.
§ SIR H. TYLERI had been waiting all day. I only left the House for five minutes, and when I returned I found that the Bill had been read a third time.