§ MR. GOURLEY (Sunderland)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any and what progress has been made with regard to the recommendations of the Washington International Maritime Conference?
§ * SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHMany of the recommendations of the Washington Maritime Conference are already provided for by British Law or Regulation, and with regard to others, such as the Rule of the Road at Sea, the International Code of Signals, and the Load Line, I am still in communication with Foreign Governments. The subject of a uniform classification of lights is under the consideration of the General Lighthouse Authorities, and I have already presented to Parliament the Report of the Committee I appointed to advise upon the efficient bulkheading of ships, and this Report is now being acted on by the Board of Trade. With regard to the recommendations of the Conference on the subject of a "uniform system of Buoys and Beacons" a Conference has recently been held, at my suggestion, at the Trinity House, under the Presidency of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, to deliberate upon the proposals made at Washington, and to advise the Board of Trade what steps Great Britain should take in regard thereto. That Conference has made its Report, which I propose to lay on the Table at an early date. The recommendations contained in it have been communicated to the Foreign Governments represented at Washington.