§ Mr. NORMAN CRAIGasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that there are many non-union lighterman licensed to work upon the River Thames, and that these men are willing to work upon adequate protection being afforded to them; whether he will take steps to make possible the employment of this free labour; (2) whether he is aware that, under the existing law, the work ordinarily done upon the River Thames by licensed lightermen and apprentices may, without penalty, be entrusted to unlicensed men if the services of licensed men are not available at the usual rates of remuneration; whether, during the present strike, adequate protection has been afforded to master lightermen to avail themselves of the services 1997W of unlicensed men; if not, whether he will give or procure adequate protection; (3) whether he is aware that there are a number of watermen ordinarily working on the River Thames who, although not licensed, are fully qualified to discharge the duties of licensed lightermen, and that, even before the present strike, the Port of London Authority contemplated effecting a change in the method of qualifying lightermen and apprentices for services in the River Thames so as to make qualified but at present unlicensed labour available for the service of the port; whether he will take steps to make possible the employment of this labour under adequate protection; (4) whether he is aware that, at a conference on 17th June between representatives of shipowners and master lightermen upon the River Thames with a view to resumption of work on lighters within the area affected by the strike, the master lightermen informed the shipowners that they could not put men upon their barges without risk to their lives; that the police protection upon the river was inadequate against the union picketting; and that men could not be employed upon barges with reasonable safety unless naval picket-boats convoyed barges in transit and bluejackets protected them whilst stationary; and whether he will take steps, by action or representation, to make it possible for free labour to be employed with safety upon barges in the River Thames?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe Port of London Authority are empowered by the Port of London Act, 1908, to vary by by-law the existing statutory provisions with respect to the qualifications to be possessed by applicants for lightermen's and watermen's licenses and certificates, and the conditions on which such licenses or certificates are to be granted or renewed, subject to the restriction that the by-law shall not authorise the grant of a license or certificate to a person who has not for a period of at least two years been engaged in working on a craft or boat in the Port of London. Any such by-law is required to be advertised with a view to the consideration of objections in the first place by the Port Authority, and afterwards by the Board of Trade, by whom the by-law has to be confirmed before it comes into force. The Board of Trade are aware that Section 66 of the Watermen's and Lightermen's Act, 1859, provides that no penalty shall be recoverable from the owner of a lighter who does not employ a licensed1998W lighterman or qualified apprentice if he proves to the satisfaction of the Court that he is unable for the usual compensation to obtain the services of any such lighterman or apprentice. As regards the question of police protection, I would refer to the reply given to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on Tuesday last.