§ 62. Mr. PETOasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the official notices to mariners issued by the Board of Trade that, for the benefit of eastward-bound ships in the North Atlantic, the Central Meteorological Bureau of France dispatch a meteorological message by radiotelegrams from the Eiffel Tower, Paris, each day immediately after the time signal at 11 a.m.; and whether, having regard to the fact that similar weather reports are sent out free of charge by way of radiotelegrams from Canadian and 977 American wireless stations, he will now consider it advisable, in the interests of safety of life at sea, to adopt a system similar to that which is now in vogue in France, so that merchant ships approaching dangerous coasts may understand that at a certain time of the day weather reports will be officially sent out by means of radiotelegrams, particularly in view of the probable still wider adoption of wireless apparatus on merchant steamers?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. There has been no demand for such a service from the shipowners of this country, and in the circumstances I do not propose to institute one.