§ MR. GOURLEYasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Royal Commission, dated 1st May 1883, recommending a uniform system of buoyage; if so, what measures he intends adopting for the purpose of giving effect to it; and, if he has decided whether the port hand buoys are to be of a uniform single or parti-colour?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINIn July of last year I caused copies of the Report of the Conference appointed to consider the proposal for a uniform system of buoyage for the United Kingdom to be forwarded to the buoyage authorities in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, and also to the Foreign and Colonial Offices, for distribution among Foreign and Colonial Maritime Governments. The Trinity House has intimated to me their intention to accept the recommendations of the Conference, and to introduce gradually such alterations as are necessary in their present system. From recently issued notices to mariners, it appears that the Commissioners of Irish Lights are gradually altering the buoyage of districts under their control in conformity with the scheme recommended. As regards port hand-buoys, the Conference recommended that they should be of a colour distinctive from single coloured starboard hand-buoys, leaving it open to the buoyage authority to adopt either a single or a parti-colour as may be preferred. I have no power to compel the adoption of the recommendations made.