§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he could state the number of seamen who failed to join British foreign-going ships in the United Kingdom, and the number of continuous discharge books suspended during the quarters ended 30th September, 1908, and 30th September, 1909, respectively, distinguishing the port of failure to join?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe number of seamen who failed to join British foreign-going ships in the United Kingdom during the quarter ended 30th September last was 2,426, as compared with 2,969 in the corresponding quarter of 1908. The number of continuous discharge books suspended under Section 65, Sub-section 2, of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, was 244 in the quarter ended 30th September last, and 59 in the corresponding quarter of 1908. The hon. Member will observe that the failures to join show the satisfactory decrease of 543 in the quarter since a year ago, a decrease of 18 per cent.