§ MR. W. FIELDI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether it is intended to allow the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to continue, as a purely voluntary irresponsible society, to assume the function of saving life and property from the dangers of shipwreck; and, (2) whether the Coastguards and the crews of Her Majesty's ships of war could be utilised in cases of emergency to assist in manning lifeboats?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE,) CroydonIt is not the intention of the Board of Trade to interfere with the excellent work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. As the House is aware, only a part of the duty of life salvage round our coasts is performed by the Institution, the complete and successful system of rocket and other appliances in use being under Government management. The second paragraph of the hon. Member's question is rather for the Admiralty than for the Board of Trade, but I am sure that every possible assistance in saving life in case of emergency 337 is given, when practicable, from Her Majesty's ships; and, with regard to the Coastguard, special instructions are issued under which the crews of Coastguard stations may (with the sanction of the Station officer) form part of a lifeboat's crew.