§ MR. STEWARTasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether Her Majesty's Government is prepared to recommend to Parliament an increased Vote for Pensions of those Seamen (and their dependants) who have contributed to the Merchant Seamen's Fund, and have complied with the necessary requirements entitling them to receive pensions?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYSir, the Government have no intention of recommending an increased Vote for the purpose referred to. The rates of pension now in force were fixed after the passing of the Merchant Seamen's Winding-up Act in 1851, under which the Government undertook the administration of the Merchant Seamen's Fund. They were the average of the rates existing at the different ports at which the funds were formerly administered by local trusts, many of which had become bankrupt. The contributions by seamen to the fund have been quite inadequate to meet the payment of the pensions, and the cost of taking over the fund has been very great already to the country—about £1,000,000 sterling. It will still be many years before these pensions run out.