MR. MCDONALD CAMERON (Wick, &c.)asked the Secretary to the Board 1684 of Trade, Whether his attention has been called to the frequent loss of life among the Scottish fishermen, owing to the shallow-decked boats now in use; that these shallow-decked boats have only a few inches between the deck and the top of the gunwale, and that such frequent loss of life could, in most instances, have been avoided by the owners of boats being compelled to adopt some kind of safety rail; and, whether it is within the power of the Department to make compulsory the adoption, by the owners of all shallow-decked fishing boats, of a safety rail?
§ THE SECRETARY (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)Representations have been made—which I believe to be true—that life is lost from the decks of the fishing boats referred to, and that the bulwarks are very low. The boats are built in a way to suit the requirements of the trade, and the Board of Trade have no power to make the adoption of a safety rail compulsory.