§ MR. J. W. CROMBIE (Kincardineshire)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the requirements of Article 10, b, c, of the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (1884) have been found impracticable in the case of small fishing boats, and are not complied with; whether the recommendations of the Washington Conference (Article 9) on this subject were, at the request of the Board of Trade, left out of consideration by the Committee of 1890; and whether anything has since been done, or is now being done, to amend these Regulations?
§ MR. RITCHIEI am aware that small fishing boats have sometimes experienced difficulty in complying with the requirements of the Regulations hitherto existing. But the recommendations of the Washington Conference, 1331 together with other proposals on the subject of fishing vessels' lights, have (with the concurrence of the Powers) been held over pending the settlement of the main code of Rules of the Road at Sea. Now that that code has been settled, no effort will be spared to deal with the subject to which the hon. Member refers, with a view to such amendment of the Regulations as may be found advisable.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Board of Trade is likely to arrive at any conclusion as to the fishing vessel regulations?
§ MR. RITCHIEI do not think I can add anything more to what I have said. These matters stood over with the general consent until the settlement of the main code had been concluded. That is now agreed upon.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESwas understood to ask whether they would see the code of rules before they were proposed to be enforced on the fishing vessels.
§ MR. RITCHIEThat I cannot say.