§ 44. Sir B. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what precautions are taken, and what Government supervision is exercised on our coasts, to ensure that properly certificated mariners are in charge of coasting cargo vessels; and whether the representatives of the Government will be instructed to support an international convention on the minimum requirement of professional capacity in the case of captains and navigating and engineer officers in charge of watches on board merchant ships, as proposed at the thirteenth session of the International Labour Conference at Geneva on 1st March, 1931?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHACoasting cargo vessels are not required by the Merchant Shipping Acts to carry certificated officers. I have no reason to think that the absence of any such requirement is a source of danger. The attitude of His Majesty's Government to the proposals for an international convention on this subject are set out in the Blue Report of the International Labour Office, dated 1st March, 1931, containing the replies to the questionnaire sent out by the office after the thirteenth session of the International Labour Conference of 1929.
§ Sir B. PETOHave any communications taken place since, and do the Government still adhere to the decision expressed in 1931?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe views were expressed in 1929, and have not changed.