§ 1. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the President of the Board of Trade what are the regulations in force regarding the taking on board of fresh water for cooking and drinking in merchant 204 ships; if he is aware that it is the practice of certain ships' captains to fill up the fresh water tanks with river water Which is not pure; and whether he will take steps to ensure the taking of an adequate supply of fresh and pure water in British and Foreign ports, respectively?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)I am sending the hon. and gallant Member copies of the provisions relating to the supply of water on merchant ships, and he will see that in home ports the water is subject to inspection by officers of the Board of Trade, and that at any port the water has to be examined if a complaint is made by three or more members of the crew, and any defects have to be put right. I am aware that river water is sometimes taken. It is the duty of a Master to take good water whenever it is available, and if particulars are given of any case in which this is not done, the matter will be inquired into.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that the cases are very rare where bad water is taken aboard?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERYes, I am. As a matter of fact, very careful investigation was made in the Port of Hull, and we found very few cases where anything could be said against the water, and I am glad to say that the majority of these cases concerned foreign, and not British vessels.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that complaints do not arise at the Port of Hull at all in respect of water taken aboard at Hull, but to water which is obtained by vessels in foreign ports?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI think that in the few cases where the water was not satisfactory it was water on board when the ship arrived from a foreign port. I am not casting any reflection on the Hull water.