Mr. KINGAsked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he has considered the possible losses at sea caused by derelict water-logged vessels; whether there are reasons to believe that such vessels, floating for long periods in the ocean and scarcely discernible above the water-line, exist in any considerable numbers, or on any trade routes; and whether he will436W institute inquiries into this possible cause of danger to our mercantile marine?
Mr. BUXTONThe danger to navigation caused by floating derelicts formed the subject of an inquiry by a Committee in 1894. That Committee arrived at the conclusion that the number of well-established casualties from collisions with derelicts in the open sea was very small, that the chances of discovering such derelicts were infinitesimal, and that the destruction of certain classes of derelicts when found would be a work of great difficulty, and might create additional dangers, while the cost of such an undertaking would be out of all proportion to any possible benefit. Power to deal with floating derelicts in the neighbourhood of the coasts of the United Kingdom is possessed by Harbour and Conservancy Authorities and services of this nature are occasionally rendered by the Admiralty as in the recent case of the "Richelieu." I have no reason for thinking that there has been any material change in the circumstances since the date of the Committee's Report, and having regard to the findings of the Committee, I do not thing that there is any ground for making further enquiries.