§ 25. Mr. R. Gibson (for Mr. Benjamin Smith)asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any action has been taken to give effect to the recommendation of the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee, that masters should receive express instructions from shipowners to take a personal interest in all questions relating to crews' accommodation, and thus encourage co-operation between the crew and the officers on this important question?
§ Mr. StanleyYes, Sir. This recommendation was reproduced as an Introductory Note to the Crew Space Instructions of 1937, and paragraph 30 of the instructions provides that a master of a ship should frequently and regularly 1065 inspect the crew's quarters and record the results at least once a week in the official log. Copies of the instructions were circulated by the shipowners' organisations to their members, with a request that they should provide each of their masters with a copy and call special attention to the introductory note and paragraph 30. In addition, the Board's marine superintendents affix a copy of paragraph 30 to all new copies of official log books.
§ 26. Mr. Gibson (for Mr. Smith)asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are taken to ensure that repairs and disinfestation of crews' accommodation in coasting vessels, which cannot be carried out at ports of call while the men are still on board, are attended to at the home or terminal port?
§ Mr. StanleyAs regards outstanding repairs, Board of Trade surveyors make reports to their colleagues at other ports where such repairs can be effected. Any question with regard to disinfestation should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.
§ 27. Mr. Gibson (for Mr. Smith)asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the surveyors attached to his Department are required to supply him with particulars of serious defects to structure and defects of original construction reported to them by port medical officers of health or their inspectors engaged in examining crews' accommodation; and what action is taken in the light of such reports?
§ Mr. StanleyBoard of Trade surveyors are instructed to take appropriate action in regard to any structural defects brought to their notice. Where material structural alterations are involved the case is reported to headquarters for consideration. All such cases are dealt with on their merits in the light of the current Crew Space Instructions.