HC Deb 21 July 1896 vol 43 c250
MR. C. W. CAYZER (Barrow-in-Furness)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the officials of the Board of Trade report to him all cases of Foreign vessels arriving at British ports which they consider overladen or not laden in accordance with the regulations applied to British vessels; if he can state how many Foreign ships have been thus reported, and whether he will grant a return giving the particulars of each case for the last three years; and whether, if these returns have not been reported by the officials of the Board of Trade in the past, he will give instructions to have them reported for the future?

MR. RITCHIE

Neither the Board of Trade nor its officers have any authority to interefere with foreign vessels arriving overladen at ports in the United Kingdom, except in the case of deck loads of timber in winter.