§ Mr. LARDNERasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number and names of the submarine signals which have been established off the British and Irish coasts respectively; whether these have been erected by private enterprise or at the public cost, or partly by both; whether it is proposed to establish any others; and, if so, when and where?
Mr. BUXTONAs regards England and Wales, submarine signalling apparatus has been established by the Trinity House on the following fourteen lightships:—
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Spurn Royal Sovereign Outer Dowsing Nab Cross Sand Shambles Outer Gabbard Owers Sunk St. Goven Tongue Break sea East Goodwin Morecambe Bay The Trinity House propose to establish submarine bell buoys off Fishguard, the Bishop Rock, and the Eddystone, and a submarine ground bell off the Lizard. They have also established a submarine ground bell off the North Stack, in respect of which a special annual contribution is paid to the Elder Brethren by the London and Northwestern Railway Company. The Commissioners of Irish Lights have established submarine signalling apparatus on the Kish, Coningbeg, and Daunts Rock lightships, and propose to extend the system to the South Arklow and South Rock lightships. I am informed that the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses have no installations on the Scottish coast, but, they are experimenting with the system and watching its progress. The cost of installations by the lighthouse authorities falls upon the General Lighthouse Fund. So far as I am aware, the only installations erected by private enterprise are those of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board on the Bar and North-West lightships, and that of the London and Northwestern Railway Company at the outer end of the North Mail Pier at Holyhead.