§ Mr. HAVELOCK WILSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the wages dispute between the shipowners and seamen still continues in the North and South Shields; if he can state under what circumstances the superintendent at North Shields granted to the master of the s.s. "Eastville" on the 8th inst. the AA form, which denotes that the crew have been signed on in the superintendent's presence, before he had finally completed the signing on of the crew; whether he is aware that the AA form must be produced to the Customs officers before he can clear his ship; and whether he will issue instructions directing superintendents in future 194W not to grant the AA form until the signing on of the crew has been properly completed?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am informed that a wages dispute still continues, to some extent, on the Tyne. I have ascertained that in the case of the steamship "Eastville" the superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office at North Shields issued the certificate of clearance outwards before the engagement of the crew had been actually completed, and that this was done under his general instructions, in order to prevent delay in the clearance of the vessel. These instructions have been in force for many years at allports in the United Kingdom, and no change of practice has taken place recently. I fear that grave inconvenience might, in some cases, be caused to British shipping if the instructions were amended in the direction desired by my hon. Friend.