§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONTo ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the case of a steward, named Joseph Rey, a native of Mauritius, who joined the sailing ship "Iquique" at Newcastle, New South Wales, on April 23rd, 1905, and was discharged at Valparaiso on December 30th, 1905, in consequence of injuries received in his stomach whilst in the service of his ship; whether he is aware that this man was sent from Valparaiso to Liverpool, and that the Board of Trade Officials at Liverpool deducted from Rey's wages the sum of £6 to cover the cost of his hospital expenses and passage home; and whether, seeing that the Merchant Shipping Act provides that such expenses shall be borne by the owner of the ship, he will cause inquiry to be made into this case, and direct that the £6 shall be paid over to Rey at once, seeing that he is now destitute in London.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) The information in possession of the Board of Trade is to the effect that Rey was not injured in the service of the ship. As, however, the hon. Member states that he was so injured, I will make further inquiries into the matter.