§ Mr. M'GHEEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that no register of seamen is kept at the office of the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, as required by Section 252 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894; that over three years ago the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee unanimously approved a scheme for a central indexed register of seamen, and recommended the Board of Trade to adopt it; that the Board of Trade recently replied to the request of the Advisory Committee by exhibiting another scheme prepared by the Board of Trade, and that the Advisory Committee have unanimously rejected the Board's scheme, and passed a resolution to the effect that, having given careful consideration to the proposed scheme of a central indexed register of seamen, they were of opinion that the scheme was inadequate, and that if the Form C. R. 2 was filled up at the offices of the superintendents and consuls it would lead to confusion and delay, and that there would be no proper cheek; and what steps he proposes to take to see that the Advisory Committee's recommendation of three years ago is carried out without any further delay?
Mr. BUXTONThe view formerly held by the Board of Trade was that the documents recorded and preserved by the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen constituted the Register provided for in Section 252 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. In accordance, however, with legal advice recently obtained by the Board of Trade, steps are now being taken to compile an indexed register. An outline of the scheme was communicated to the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee, whose criticisms are now receiving careful consideration.