§ MR. WILLIAM JOHNSTONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the recommendations of the Committee appointed by the Board of Trade to revise the medical scales for merchant vessels that, as regards merchant ships which carry no medical man, no ship should be allowed to proceed on a long voyage unless there should be someone on board who has passed through a course of instruction in First Aid to the wounded, and also that it should be made compulsory on every mate who presents himself for examination for a master's certificate that he 851 should produce evidence that he has passed through a course of instruction; and whether he will have these recommendations carried out as soon as possible in merchant vessels and fishing smacks.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonYes, Sir, the recommendation to which my hon. friend refers was laid before me in May last and is receiving careful consideration. At present the Board of Trade are in communication on the subject with the several interests concerned. I may add that the recommendation only refers to long voyage ships, and does not include fishing smacks.