§ MR. REMNANT (Finsbury, Holborn)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if it had been decided to withdraw the coastguard from the Foreland, Ventnor division; and, if so, what provision will be made to man the 1070 Bembridge lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at present manned by these men.
§ MR. MCKENNAIt has been decided to close the Foreland coastguard detachment, at which there are three men, on the 1st December, 1908, but three coastguard men will continue to reside at Foreland for duty at Culver Cliff signal station. All arrangements for manning Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats are made by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The crew of the costguard station at Bembridge, and the three men above mentioned at Foreland, will be available to assist the lifeboat service as far as their other naval and revenue duties permit, provided the men themselves volunteer for the service. The coastguard men are not liable to be ordered on lifeboat service.
§ LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley)At what date was this decision come to?
§ MR. MCKENNAI cannot say without notice.