MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can inform the House how many separate and distinct lights, or 250 sets of lights, are required to be carried by seagoing vessels under the proposed new Rules of the Road at sea; how many such separate and distinct lights, or sets of lights, were required to be carried under the old Rules; and what is the largest number of lights required in any case to be carried by one vessel at one and the same time under the new Rules and also under the old Rules?
§ * MR. MUNDELLAIt would be impossible to give the information asked for by the hon. Member within the limits of an answer to a question in this House. As I have already stated, the Report of the Rule of the Road Committee and the correspondence on the subject is to be laid before Parliament immediately, and the hon. Member will be able then to see exactly in what respect the proposed new Rules differ from those at present in force.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESThe right hon. Gentleman says it is impossible to give this information. I should like to ask him whether it is not a fact that under the new Rules 18 distinct and separate sets of lights are required to be carried by seagoing vessels, whereas only eight were formerly necessary?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI said it was impossible to give all the information asked for in the question within the limits of an answer to the question. The proper course in a, matter so technical and so important is to lay the Rules on the Table, so that hon. Members may examine them for themselves.