§ 95. Mr. STEWARTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the finding of the Board of Trade Inquiry at Glasgow into the loss of the steamer "St. Patrick," which on the 3rd March last delivered judgment and entirely exonerated the chief officer, Mr. Duncan M'Vicar; whether he is aware that the president of the Court, Mr. Sheriff Scott Moncrieff, expressed the opinion, with the concurrence of the nautical assessors sitting with him, that the Board of Trade should in fairness grant an allowance in respect to the costs undertaken by Mr. M'Vicar in the way of legal expenses incurred by him in connection with the inquiry; and, seeing that the Board of Trade have declined to make such allowance, whether he will now take steps whereby the legal costs incurred by shipmasters and officers in defending their interests at these inquiries shall be defrayed by the Board of Trade in those cases where they are exonerated from blame?
Mr. ROBERTSONI am aware of the finding of the Court of Inquiry into the loss of the "St. Patrick," and that the sheriff suggested that the Board of Trade should consider the question of granting some allowance to the chief officer in respect of his costs. As regards the latter question, I fear I cannot, at present, add anything to the replies bearing on the subject which my right hon. Friend gave on the 10th April, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member.
Mr. F. HALLIs the hon. Gentleman aware that these officers are kept sometimes two, three, and four weeks for a Board of Trade Inquiry, and under these circumstances will not the Department give special attention to the question of refunding them and exonerating them from all liability?
Mr. ROBERTSONIt is the practice sometimes to pay subsistence allowance to witnesses. The whole matter is under consideration.
Mr. F. HALLIs it not only in a very small minority of cases that the Board of Trade pay subsistence allowance?