§ 23. Sir BASIL PETOasked the Minister of Labour, in view of the fact that at the meeting of the governing body of the International Labour Office, held at Geneva on 28th January last, the proposal that the hours of duty of seafarers should furnish the subject of discussion at the next International Maritime Conference was opposed by the representative of the British Government, whether he will state whether 1831 before this policy was decided on by the Ministry the different parties interested in the question were consulted, especially as regards the navigating officers of British merchant ships; and, if such was the case, will he state the parties consulted?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland)The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The point under discussion at Geneva was in substance whether an international discussion of hours of labour at sea should precede or should follow national settlements, and the view of His Majesty's Government was from the nature of the case that national settlements must come first.
§ Sir B. PETODo the Government object to the issue being raised?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDNo, the position is that they do not object——
§ Sir B. PETOThey are not opposing it?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDNo; what they said was that the proper order was for national settlement to come first.