§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON (Lanarkshire, N. W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the further reduction or abolition of the coastguard stations is in contemplation; if so, will he say what steps will be taken to secure that the work of life-saving from wrecks will not be seriously hampered, in view of the fact that the coastguard stations afford a means of rapidly communicating tidings of a wreck to the lifeboat stations, one-third of the number of launches made by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's boats being made in response to communications from coastguard stations, and also in view of the fact that the coastguard rocket apparatus affords in many cases, as in that of the steamship "Jebba," the only means of saving life from wrecks whore deep water comes close up to cliffs.
§ Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSONNo further reduction of coastguard stations is contemplated pending the consideration of the Report of the Interdepartmental Committee which has just been received.