§ MR. E. H. BAYLEY (Camberwell, N.)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with regard to the fact that over 4,000 wrecks and sea casualties take place annually round the coasts of the United Kingdom, causing loss of property valued at £10,000,000, and of 650 lives per annum; whether his attention has been called to the system adopted by the United States Government, by which over £1,000,000 sterling worth of property is saved per annum, and the loss of life is officially reported as reduced 80 per cent.; whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed unanimously at the Trades Union Congress, held at Norwich, on 5th September last, and to a similar resolution passed at a Conference of workmen at Belfast, calling attention to the serious loss of life by shipwreck on our coasts, whereby hundreds of sailors' wives and families are deprived of their breadwinners, and asking that the efficiency, or otherwise, of life-saving 1381 arrangements shall not depend upon philanthropy or charity, but be provided by the State; whether he is aware that an address to the Government has been signed by 100 Members of Parliament, asking for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into and report upon the arrangements for life-saving upon the coasts of the United Kingdom; and whether he will comply with the request, in view of the fact that no Parliamentary inquiry upon the subject in question has ever been held?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTAs I understand, this is a proposal to take over at the public cost the service of the lifeboats now so admirably discharged by the Lifeboat Institution. That is a very serious question at a time when so many fresh demands are being made upon the Exchequer for State aid in all directions. Before I could ask the House to appoint a Committee on this subject I must seek some further information as to the grounds of such an inquiry.
§ MR. E. H. BAYLEYI shall take an early opportunity of moving the Adjournment of the House to call attention to this question.