§ 35. Major J. BURNIEasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that an Englishman working as a member of the crew of a Canadian ship in an English port who is accidentally injured is debarred from claiming benefit under both the English and Canadian Workmen's Compensation Acts; and whether he will initiate legislation to remedy this defect?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Bridgeman)I have. been asked to reply to this question. Our Workmen's Compensation Act does not apply to the crews of ships registered out of the United Kingdom, unless the owner or manager resides or has his principal place of business in the United Kingdom. Consequently, an English member of a crew of a ship owned and registered abroad is not in a position to claim compensation from his employers for an injury sustained in an English port, unless he is entitled to do so under the Workmen's Compensation law of the country to which the ship belongs. The Departmental Committee on Workmen's Compensation inquired into this question, but they express the opinion, in paragraph 49 of their Report, that it would not be practicable or desirable, save in pursuance of an international agreement, to make any legal provision to enable a British seaman on a ship registered out of the United Kingdom to recover compensation in this country, and that British seamen engaging on such ships must he content to rely on the law of the country of registration. In view of this finding, I should not feel justified in proposing any extension of our Act in the direction suggested.