§ MR. A. C. MORTONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the want of steam tugs to take out the lifeboats to ships in distress; and whe- 1903 ther he will take steps to provide the necessary steam tugs for that purpose?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe lifeboats on the coast of the United Kingdom are supplied or maintained out of public funds. I am not aware that the efficiency of the lifeboat service has suffered from the want of steam tugs, but judging from the past I am sure that no means to secure and maintain efficiency will be neglected by the Institution. With this view they have recently built steam lifeboats.