Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he can state how many stations for watching the coasts in the interest of our mercantile marine have been established, taken over, or provided for under the scheme recently developed, what the approximate cost of this scheme is estimated to be, and whether he is now in a position to state that in times of necessity all dangerous parts of our coast are watched by persons for whom the Board of Trade is responsible?
Mr. BUXTONI am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply given to the question put to me by my hon. Friend on Wednesday last on the subject to which he refers.
Mr. KINGIn view of the very large interest taken in this question by a very large number of persons, will the right hon. Gentleman make at an early date a statement as to what the Government are doing and what the cost in this connection will be?
Mr. BUXTONWe have gone into the matter very carefully, and one of the officers who has been round the coasts has reported upon it. The matter is now before the Treasury, and until a decision is come to, obviously it would be premature to make a statement.