§ COLONEL SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, having regard to the large number of recent disasters at sea involving the immediate transfer of the passengers and crew to the boats, 1446 whether the Board of Trade has any power to insist upon boats being hung for immediate flotation, and being kept duly stocked with oars, sails, life belts, fresh water, and provisions and, with a view to avoiding panic, and to the preservation of life, whether a, notice could be placed in passengers' berths, near the life belt notice, showing the boat station of such passenger in the event of collision or fire, and arrangements being made for the conspicuous indication of the number of each boat station?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADEYes, Sir. The Board of Trade possess and exercise full powers under the Merchant Shipping Act to insist on all boats placed under davits being so carried as to be capable of being at once swung outboard and put into the water. The boat-lowering appliances are also frequently tested, and the boats are required to be fitted with all necessary equipments, including a supply of fresh water. But the Board of Trade have no power to insist upon provisions, nor to require the posting of notices in passengers' berths showing the boat station for each passenger.
§ In answer to a further question by Colonel Sir HOWARD VINCENT,
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADEsaid: I have no doubt that the attention of those interested will be drawn to the Question of the honourable Gentleman, and that the matter will be considered, but it would be impossible for us to communicate with individual shipowners with regard to matters of this kind.