§ MR. FORTESCUE FLANNERY (Yorkshire, Shipley)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to recent judgments in the Port of Hamburg whereby Hamburg workmen, injured by the alleged negligence of a British shipowner, recovered damages with the alternative of the arrest of such British shipowner or his servants, and their punishment criminally; whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, under the English Law as it at present stands, a British workman cannot recover compensation. from the owner resident abroad of a Foreign ship, although such workman may have been injured by the negligence of such owner or his servants, and although such Foreign ship may be arrested in respect of claims of a different character; and whether the Government will consider the advisability of introducing into the Bill to amend the Law of Employment increased protection to British workpeople from the consequences of negligence of Foreign shipowners or their officials?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYI have not seen the judgments to which the hon. Member refers, but I will communicate with the Board of Trade upon the question which he raises and which I believe is also being brought under the consideration of the House by a private Member's Bill.