§ 20. Brigadier-General NATIONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will ascertain and inform the House what are the rates of pay paid by the Peninsular and Oriental and British-India Steamship Lines for lascars signed on Asiatic agreements?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI am informed that the rates of pay for individual lascars signed on Asiatic agreements, excluding petty officers, vary from 18 to 50 rupees 164 per month, according to rating and length of service.
§ Brigadier-General NATIONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these lascars are paid at a considerably lower rate than white British sailors; and does he not think that British subjects employed on the same ship should have the same salary irrespective of colour?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI gave the rates of pay of individual lascars. I am informed that the number of lascars is usually much larger than would be the case if they were white seamen.
Mr. WESTIs it not a fact that 95 per cent. or more of the lascars employed on British ships are signed on under Asiatic and not European agreements and that, therefore, they are paid not more than a quarter of the rates paid to British seamen?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIf the hon. Member will put down a question on the subject, I shall be glad to find an answer for him.
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI would rather not express any opinion or make any statement without having a chance of inquiring into it.
§ Mr. PALINGIn view of the fact that a subsidy has just been paid to ship-owners, is this not a good time to encourage them to employ British seamen?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANCertainly. That is what we are doing.
21. Mr. WESTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give any information as to what is the monthly rate of pay for coloured able-seamen employed on British steamers?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIf engaged' in this country, coloured able-seamen are paid £8 2s. per month, but under National Maritime Board arrangements there is provision for considering special cases. The rates of pay of coloured seamen engaged abroad vary, but I am informed that customary rates for lascar able-seamen engaged in India range from 20 rupees to 32 rupees per month, while Chinese engaged abroad receive about 30 dollars (Chinese) per month.
Mr. WESTIs it not a fact that these lascars who are signed on outside Europe are paid about a quarter of the standard British rates of the Maritime Board and that the unemployment benefit arising out of the employment of these coloured seamen is costing the State over £2,000,000 a year to subsidise cheap coloured labour?
§ Mr. LOGANIs it not a fact that the rate paid to the lascar is £1 15s. per month and to British seamen £8 6s. 6d., and is it not time that this scandal ended?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have given such information as is in our possession with regard to the rates of pay of both classes.
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIf the hon. Member would like me to give him the sterling equivalent, I should be glad to have it worked out.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot pursue this subject at any length at Question Time.