§ 81. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will issue a Return giving particulars of all those cases of British merchant vessels sustaining damage by reason of carrying deck loads of timber and otherwise during the year ended 30th June, 1912?
Mr. ROBERTSONA Return could be given so far as deck loads of timber are concerned, but to include other kinds of deck cargo would involve a great amount of labour. Perhaps the hon. Member will be good enough to communicate with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on the subject.
§ 82. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what proportion of vessels registered in the United Kingdom were reported to the Board of Trade as having sustained casualties while carrying deck loads of timber during the year ending 30th June, 1912, to the total number of vessels carrying deck loads of timber during that period; what is the number of British vessels which carried deck loads of timber to continental ports during the last winter season—that is, from the last day of October, 1911, to the 16th day of April, 1733 1912; and what number of casualties attributable to these deck cargoes was reported as happening during this period to the Board of Trade?
Mr. ROBERTSONI regret that the Board of Trade have no figures available which would give the information required by the hon. Member, nor do I think it possible to obtain such figures.
§ Mr. PETOHas the Board considered seriously the question of obtaining these figures as in answer to other questions I put in the House. I have had replies which would infer that there is very little risk to life at sea in consequence of the carrying of deck cargoes?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe hon. Member's question was as to the proportion of loss in such cases. We have been able to give an exact statement of the loss for one period because research had been independently made on the subject. We have no figures as to the number of cargoes, and therefore cannot state the proportion.