§ MR. J. C. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether it is a fact that the Board of Trade has issued instructions that derelicts reported by captains of vessels to the Customs at home are invited to telegraph to Lloyd's as an experimental measure; and that consular officers at maritime ports abroad have been instructed to furnish the same information to Lloyd's agents, who have instructions to immediately telegraph the substance of the information to Lloyd's in London, at Lloyds' expense?
§ MR. J. BRYCEAny instructions on the subject would not be issued by the Board of Trade, but by the Foreign 1151 Office and the Customs respectively. The Board of Trade have, however, been in communication with those Departments on the subject, with the result that they are informed that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on the 11th instant, instructed consular officers to communicate to Lloyds' agents at their respective ports any information on the subject of derelicts received from the masters of British vessels. With regard to Customs Officers, the Commissioners of Customs intimated to the Board of Trade on the 8th ultimo, that they had informed Lloyds' that they were prepared to furnish the intelligence required to the resident correspondents or agents of Lloyds' upon application, and to authorise their collectors to transmit the information to the Committee in London from ports at which Lloyds' have no resident agents. Similar facilities will be accorded by both the Foreign Office and the Customs to any other bodies or persons who apply for them.
§ MR. MACDONAthanked the Government for this most important concession, although it did not go as far as he desired it should.