§ Sir HILDRED CARLILEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he could state how many foreign sailors had been excluded under the Act enforcing the langauge test since it came into operation, and to what nationalities they belonged?
§ Sir H. CARLILEWill the right hon. Gentleman take any steps to obtain the information?
Mr. BUXTONI do not think I can ascertain how many have been excluded in consequence of the operation of the Act. I cannot tell whether they would come forward or not.
§ Sir H. CARLILESeeing that his Department is responsible for the administration of the Act, is not the right hon. Gentleman informed as to the result of its working?
§ Sir H. CARLILEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he would state how the decrease in foreign sailors since the Act came into operation enforcing the language test compared with the decrease or increase of foreign sailors in the five years immediately preceding the enforcement of the Act?
Mr. BUXTONThe language test under Section 12 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, came into force on 1st January, 1908. The number of foreign seamen of all ratings returned as employed in the year 1903, exclusive of Asiatics and East Africans serving under agreements to terminate in Asia, was 40,396, being a percentage of 15.7; in 1907 the number was 37,694, a percentage of 13.6; and in 1910 the number was 30,462, a percentage of 11.2. The statistics for 1911 are not yet available. The language test has undoubtedly been a factor that has led to this decline, but there are other factors under the Act of 1906, e.g., better food and accommodation, certified cooks, etc., which have made the Merchant Service more popular with our own people, as is shown by the fact that in the above quoted period the number of British seamen increased from 176,500 in 1903 to 202,000 in 1910.
§ Mr. CLYNESWould there be any need for a language test if adequate British wages were given for work on all British vessels?