§ Viscount CURZONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the proposals submitted to the Minister of Labour for the relief of the unemployment existing among captains and officers of the merchant service fey the Mercantile Marine Service Association included a suggestion that the Board of Trade be 1207W empowered to increase their complement of ships' surveyors; and, bearing in mind the recent inquiry into the loss of the "El Kahira," wherein an official of the Marine Department was severely censured, will he take steps to increase the personnel of marine surveyors from the ranks of the unemployed captains and officers and so ensure that British ships are properly surveyed and so found seaworthy?
Mr. WEBBWhile I have every sympathy with unemployed merchant service officers, I do not think this unemployment should be relieved by increasing the number of Board of Trade surveyors beyond the number necessary for statutory work to be done.