§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade the number of British vessels on board which Chinese are engaged as members of their crews, which arrived in the River Mersey during the past twelve months; the numbers of such Chinese so engaged; and how many deserted or were paid off in the Port of Liverpool during that period?
Mr. BUXTONThe number of British ships on board of which Chinese were engaged as members of their crews, which arrived in the River Mersey during the period from 1st April, 1910, to 31st March, 1911, was 184; the number of Chinese seamen on board was 4,683; the number who deserted at Liverpool was 212; and the number paid off at Liverpool was 543.