§ 12. Captain McEWENasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any final decision has yet been taken in regard to the closing down of the examination centre at the port of Leith?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir. The examination centre at Leith will be closed after the end of July.
§ Captain McEWENIn view of the objections that have been put forward, will the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to undertake a revision of that decision?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThere have been representations made by those who are interested, but I am afraid that the necessity of our making economies makes that impracticable.
§ Mr. DINGLE FOOTWill the right hon. Gentleman state the number of examiners at present employed and whether this measure will make it possible to reduce that number?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI cannot give that information without notice, but it will enable us to dispense with some of the duplication which is at present necessary.
§ Captain McEWENDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that it is not a question of Leith only, but the whole of the East of Scotland.
§ 15. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the President of the Board of Trade if he has considered the representations sent to him from Goole and Hull concerning the proposal to close down the Hull examination centre, engineer officers, etc.; and, if so, will he state the nature of his reply?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe representations made have been carefully considered, but I regret I am unable to vary the decision to close the examination centre at Hull for officers of the Mercantile Marine. Hull will still be a centre where fishermen can be examined for certificates of competency as skipper and second hand.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this matter is causing great apprehension in the minds of the students and their parents, who make very great sacrifices to enable their children to secure the necessary qualifications?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI am very well aware of those representations, but I think they are very much exaggerated.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIn view of the comparatively small sum which will be saved by the closing of this centre, does not the right hon. Gentleman think that it will create a hardship incomparably worse upon the parents?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI do not think it will place them under any great disability. They will be able to continue their studies without any inteference, but these are economies which we must press through.