§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the criticisms made by an assistant inspector of Post Office telegraph communications from the Post Office in London that radio channels in the North Sea between ship and ship and between ship and shore were being misused at the time when the Aberdeen trawler "Blue Crusader" was lost off Orkney with all hands; and if he will take steps to investigate these criticims, to answer them, and to prevent such misuse in the future.
§ Mr. BennI take it my hon. and learned Friend is referring to the evidence given by one of my officials at the court of inquiry into the loss of "Blue Crusader". I am well aware of the misuse of frequencies which he mentioned. It can at certain times be a considerable impediment to the handling of ordinary messages between ship and shore and we are constantly trying to put a stop to it, both by appealing to the skippers concerned and by prosecuting the worst offenders. I must emphasise, however, that it has nothing whatever to do with the loss of "Blue Crusader"—that is abundantly clear from the court of inquiry's findings—and that the evidence my hon. and learned Friend mentions was not given in that context.