Colonel L. WARDasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller whether the Report of the Admiralty Committee on the Manning of the Mercantile Marine has been forwarded to and considered by the Ministry of Shipping; and, if so, whether the Ministry is in agreement with the recommendations put forward?
Colonel WILSONThe Ministry of Shipping has not been invited to express its views on the recommendations contained in this Report and, pending full consideration, my right hon. Friend the Shipping Controller must not be taken as agreeing with any of the recommendations. As stated by my right hon. Friend870W the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty on 15th May the Admiralty have asked that the Report shall be submitted to the National Maritime Board, but before formally laying the Report before the National Maritime Board the Ministry is asking the Admiralty to supplement the information at present available, as to its own future requirements of the Mercantile Marine and as to its policy towards the more important recommendations, so that the National Maritime Board, if it so desired, may put forward constructive proposals on the points in the Report.