§ MR. JOYCE (Limerick)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the number of casualties to British ships within the 1461 past five years, and taking into account the number of foreign seamen employed on those ships, the Board of Trade will make a rule that at least half the number of able seamen employed on British ships shall be British subjects.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Board of Trade have no power to make such a rule as that suggested by the hon. Member, which would involve a return to the policy of the Navigation Laws. I may observe that, as a matter of fact, the number of casualties in the Mercantile Marine have decreased during the past five years.