§ MR. HOUSTON (Liverpool, West Toxteth)To ask the President of
§ Kingdom from Australasia and South America during the year 1905—
§ the Board of Trade whether his attention has been directed to the increase in the employment of Chinese and other foreigners on board British vessels; and whether he will introduce legislation compelling British vessels sailing from British ports to engage British subjects, to the extent of at least 75 per cent. of the total number of the crews.
§ (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) My attention has been called to the increase in number of foreigners employed in our mercantile marine. I do not propose to introduce legislation compelling British vessels sailing from British ports to engage any specified proportion of British subjects; but the Bill now before Parliament provides that no seaman shall be engaged in the United Kingdom before a superintendent who has not sufficient knowledge of English to under-stand the necessary orders. I understand that the majority of the Chinese on British ships have been engaged at Singapore and at Hong Kong, and therefore the hon. Member has no right to assume that they are not British subjects.