§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade how many vessels are supposed to have foundered during the gales from the 18th to 21st November laden with grain from the Black Sea and Mediterranean; can he say how many are missing, and whether they were spar or well decked or single decked vessels, and whether they were fitted with permanent or temporary bulkheads, also whether any portion of the cargoes consisted of bags stowed upon the grain in bulk to prevent shifting; and what inquiry he proposes to make with regard to these and other vessels lost and not heard of during the past few weeks?
§ MR. MUNDELLAIt would be altogether premature for me to attempt to state what number of grain ships from the Black Sea and Mediterranean were lost during the recent gale, or how many are missing. My attention has already been called to this subject by the Underwriters, and the hon. Member may rest assured that I shall order careful inquiry in every case in which any useful result is at all likely to be obtained, especially as grain ships are required to be loaded in accordance with stringent statutory rules.