§ 79. Mr. BRACEasked if the President of the Board of Trade is now in a position to give information as to whether he proposes to introduce legislation to restore the Plimsoll load line on vessels; if so, when; if the inquiry has been held re the loss of the ss. "North Briton"; and when the House of Commons may expect the Report thereon?
§ 84. Mr. JOWETTasked if, since the right hon. Gentleman's appointment to his present office, he has received any communications from associations, societies, or guilds of seafaring men, or from individuals who have experienced the dangers of a seafaring life, concerning the deeper loading of ships and additional cargoes made possible by the altered load-line regulations issued in 1906; and, if so, whether he will publish the said communications in full for the information of Members?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Buxton)I have been carefully considering the whole matter. The 1485 assignment of load line is not a matter requiring legislation, having expressly been entrusted by Parliament to the Board of Trade. It is a question involving considerations of a technical character which have not perhaps been fully appreciated by some of those who have expressed opinions on the subject. The question is obviously unsuitable for inquiry by an ordinary Committee of persons unfamiliar with the technical details of ship coustruction. It is also a matter on which international uniformity is highly desirable, and an international conference on load line has been already arranged. I propose to have the question thoroughly investigated in connection with the instructions to the British delegates. These instructions are now under consideration, and I propose to set up a Committee including representatives of the Board of Trade and of the assigning bodies, with an independent chairman to advise me as to these instructions. I shall refer to this Committee all the representations received by the Board of Trade of the nature referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bradford.