§ MR. JENKINS (Chatham)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death at sea from exhaustion of a fireman named Ravid Ullah on ss. "Umkuzi," of London, on 10th September, 1908; whether any inquiry was held; whether the seaman was medically examined before joining the ship; whether he had had any previous sea service; whether the Board of Trade surveyors have satisfactorily reported upon the ventilation of the stokehold; if 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 deaths from exhaustion, heat stroke, or heart failure amongst the stokehold hands have occurred on this ship.
§ MR. CHURCHILLYes, Sir. Inquiry was held in the case of the "Umkuzi" by the Deputy Port Conservator at Madras. I am informed that the crew were medically examined, but I am not aware whether the man had had previous sea service. As the vessel has been trading abroad since the date of the occurrence, the Board of Trade surveyors have not yet had an opportunity of reporting on the ventilation of the stokehold. I do not know what the present coal consumption is, but when last reported on, it was eighteen tons for twenty-four hours, and the number of firemen and trimmers was fourteen. No previous cases of death from any of the causes specified have been reported.