§ 52. Mr. Loganasked the Undersecretary of State for India whether he is aware that Clause 41 of the Indian Merchant Shipping Act, 1923, while providing for the right of a shipping master to board any British or foreign ship at any port in British India, affords little or no protection to lascars as soon as the German or other foreign ships on which they are serving put to sea; that whatever form of agreement is signed by lascar seamen, it only has application with in the maritime regulations governing the foreign ships in question; and whether he will take steps to ensure that lascar seamen, employed on ships other than British, are enabled to secure redress of 2620 legitimate grievances according to British or Indian maritime law?
§ Mr. Munro (Lord of the Treasury)I have been asked to reply. Section 41 of the Indian Merchant Shipping Act is designed to prevent seamen from being taken on board ship contrary to the provisions of the Act. The protection of lascars on foreign ships is secured by Section 38 of the Act, which provides that the master of a foreign ship must enter into an agreement with every native seaman whom he engages and must execute a bond for the due performance of the agreement. With regard to the second and third parts of the question, my Noble Friend is not clear what are the "maritime regulations" which the hon. Member has in mind. But he considers that the provisions of Section 38, which I have described, and the agreements made thereunder, do all that is possible for the protection of lascars employed on foreign vessels.
§ Mr. LoganIs the hon. Gentleman able to say in regard to the signing of articles what is the provision about this labour going to Germany on German ships?