§ MR. KENDAL O'BRIEN (Tipperary, Mid)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death at sea from heart disease of a fireman, named Leong Kan, on the ss. "Bullmouth," of London on 15th October, 1908; whether he was on duty at the time of his death; whether he was medically examined at the time of his engagement; whether he had had any previous sea service; whether he can state the amount of coal the firemen and trimmers were required to work in each twenty-four hours; and whether any previous cases of death from heart disease or supposed heart disease amongst stokehold hands have occurred on this vessel.
§ MR. CHURCHILLYes, Sir, inquiry was held in the case of the "Bullmouth" by the Vice-Consul at Algiers, the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office at North Shields, and by the principal Board of Trade officer for the 2139 north-eastern district. The man was not on duty at the time of his death. He was engaged at Singapore, but I am not aware whether he had been medically examined or had had previous sea service. The consumption of coal was twenty-seven tens per twenty-four hours, and the number of firemen and trimmers was thirteen. No previous deaths from heart disease on board this vessel have been reported.