§ 9. Mr. KELLYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Load Line Committee which he appointed last year has yet concluded its Report; and whether he proposes, once the Report is concluded, to send it to foreign countries for their consideration and to invite such Governments to attend an international conference on the subject?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am informed that the Load Line Committee has made considerable progress, but has not completed its work. When the revision of the load line rules is completed, it will be sent to Dominion and foreign Governments for their consideration. Every effort will be made to secure international agreement, but it is too early yet to say what the precise steps will be.
§ Mr. KELLYHas the right hon. Gentleman any idea when this Committee will complete its work, approximately?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, I have not.
§ Mr. MACLEANCan the right hon. Gentleman not tell the House whether, since the load line was altered by a Regulation of the Board of Trade, it cannot now again be done by a Regulation of the Board of Trade, without having to have a conference on the matter?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTEROf the first legal supplementary question, I should like notice, but what is happening now is that an expert committee, a very strong expert committee, is inquiring into the present load line Regulations, and it will then report, but in these questions of load line and other safety matters, it is very important to get international agreement. If we can agree in this country on what ought to be done, in view of what we have done in other safety matters, we shall see whether we can get agreement with other countries.
§ Mr. MACLEANIs it not the case that no international agreement was arrived at when the Plimsoll line was established?
§ Mr. SHINWELLDoes this mean that it is proposed to endanger the safety of seamen in the interests of competition?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI hoped the hon. Gentleman knew sufficient of the British standard of safety to know that we lead.
§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONDoes the right hon. Gentleman not know that—
§ Mr. SPEAKEROne question seems to be leading to another.
§ 10. Mr. CONNOLLYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Government contemplates imposing more severe penalties for violation of the load-line rules; and, if so, will consideration be given to the point of view that it is the owners rather than shipmasters who are generally responsible for overloading, and that a fine commensurate with the offence, with or without imprisonment, would act as the most effective deterrent?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe Board of Trade are considering, in consultation with the shipping industry, whether further steps can be taken to prevent overloading. In accordance with regular practice any proposals would be discussed with the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee. If such proposals should involve an increase of penalties the hon. Member may rest assured that every effort will be made to secure that these penalties shall fall on the right shoulders.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that sailing from British ports at the present time are many vessels that are overloaded and that there is no efficient inspection to prevent this kind of thing going on?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, I am not aware of any such thing.
§ Mr. SHINWELLWill the right hon. Gentleman make regular inspection of the ports to ascertain whether or not there is any truth in that statement?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe hon. Gentleman, I think, knows that there is a very regular inspection at the ports, and I think that, if he studies the matter, he will find that where the difficulty occurs is not nearly so much in British ports as in foreign ports.