§ (1) The Board of Trade may make such rules as appear to them necessary or expedient for carrying out, in the case of passenger steamers which are registered in the United Kingdom, the provisions of the Convention with respect to the internal arrangement and the lighting of ships, manning of boats, certificates for lifeboat-men, prevention, detection, and extinction of fire on board ship, mustering and duties of the crew in case of accident, and for practice and drills with a view to action in emergencies, which are mentioned in Part IV. of the Third Schedule to this Act.
§ (2) If any rule made under this Section is not complied with in the case of any ship, the owner of the ship (if in fault) shall be liable in respect of each offence to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, and the master of the ship (if in fault) shall be liable in respect of each offence 2018 to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds, and Sub-sections (2) and (3) of Section four hundred and thirty of the principal Act shall apply with respect to the penalties under this Section as they apply with respect to the penalties under that Section.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. J. M. Robertson)I beg to propose, at the end of the Clause, to add the words,
(3) A seaman or apprentice to the sea service shall, during the period for which he is entitled to receive wages, take part, in accordance with any requirements of the master, in any muster or drill required by rules under this Section, and wilful failure or refusal on the part of any such seaman or apprentice so to take part in a muster or drill shall be regarded as wilful disobedience of a lawful command within the meaning of paragraph (b) of Sub-section (1) of Section two hundred and twenty-five of the principal Act; but a seaman or apprentice to the sea service shall not be compelled to take part in a muster or drill at the end of a voyage.This Clause is inserted to meet a proposal by my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Holt) in connection with the enforcement of new rules with reference to the saving of life at sea. The Amendment which the hon. Member put down was not satisfactory, and I think that this carefully drafted Amendment will substantially meet the case.
§ Question, "That those words be there inserted," put, and agreed to.