§ Mr. HUDSONasked the President of the Board of Trade if there is any authority to which is delegated the duty of removing or destroying derelicts in the waters adjacent to our coasts, and what means has it placed at its disposal for this purpose; if not, will he take steps to remedy this by legislation or otherwise, seeing that floating derelicts are a menace to life and property in any circumstances, and especially so in our crowded waterways?
Mr. BUXTONYes, Sir, if the derelict is in any harbour or tidal water under the control of a harbour or conservancy authority that authority may, if they think that the derelict is dangerous to navigation, remove or destroy it at their own expense. If the derelict is elsewhere, the general lighthouse authority may remove or destroy it at the cost of the General Lighthouse Fund.
§ Mr. HUDSONasked when and from what source was the information as to the recent floating derelict in the North Sea near our ports communicated to the Trinity House; how long after was it that they issued instructions to their district tender at Yarmouth to proceed to search for her; when did the tender actually proceed to sea; what is the gross tonnage and nominal horse-power of the tender; if the derelict could have been towed, was the tender capable of carrying this out; if not, what course would she have adopted in the matter; and if the derelict could not have been towed, as is the case when ships have capsized, had the tender the means on board of destroying her, either by blowing her up or in any other way?
Mr. BUXTONI am informed by the Trinity House that the first report they received as to this derelict was from the Receiver of Wreck, Middlesbrough, on the morning of the 7th March, and that telegraphic instructions were sent the same morning at 11.25 to the Superintendent, 237 Yarmouth, for the tender (then at sea) to search for the derelict. On the 10th March a communication was received through the Customs, Lowestoft, from the Master of the steamship "Wandle," in which he stated that, after towing the derelict for two hours, it turned bottom up and immediately broke adrift and then disappeared. On receipt of this report the order to search for the derelict was countermanded. On the 13th March the approximate position of the derelict was again reported, when orders were given for the tender again to proceed in search of it. The tender left on the 15th March, but was not successful in finding the obstruction; subsequently the derelict drifted ashore near the Haisborough lighthouse. I understand that the gross tonnage of the tender ("Satellite") is 242 tons, and the nominal horse-power is 76. The tender was capable of towage operations if such were possible. Failing this, she would have dispersed the derelict if found.