§ 41. Mr. CADOGANasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office how many men the troopship "Dorsetshire" carried in the month of February on its journey from Southampton to Basra; whether they were all embarked before the inspection of the Board of Trade; how many men this vessel is constructed to carry as a troopship; what was the maximum number of men conveyed between each port on this voyage; and how many men the lifeboats of the "Dorsetshire" are capable of accommodating?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Duff Cooper)As the answer involves a number of figures, I will with my hon. Friend's permission circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer :
§ The Board of Trade inspection was carried out before and after embarkation at Southampton. The transport is constructed to carry 1,404 troops, and the Board of Trade regulations permit the embarkation of 1 per cent. in excess of this number. The maximum number of troops carried between the ports was :
| Southampton to Egypt | 1,383 |
| Egypt to Port Sudan | 1,407 |
| Port Sudan to Aden | 1,322 |
| Aden to Basra | 1,311 |
§ Lifeboats were provided for 1,943 passengers and crew, as against the Board of Trade's requirement of 1,874. In addition there was provision for 484 on rafts and buoyancy apparatus.