§ Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the annual Report for the year 1912 of the medical officer of health for the port of Newport, Monmouth, who states that, in respect to Board of Trade supervision over accommodation and sanitation in the case of the officers and crews of merchant ships, it is evident that the work is more than the staff of the Board 1883W of Trade can adequately supervise, and the fact that a considerable proportion of vessels, new and old, contravene the Board of Trade Regulations points to the conclusion that the number of marine surveyors is inadequate to deal with the work entrusted to them; and, if so, whether he will take into consideration the necessity of increasing the number of nautical surveyors in order that this supervision shall be exercised with proper efficiency?
Mr. BUXTONI have not been favoured with a copy of the Report to which the hon. Member refers, and I am therefore not in a position to deal with any statements made in it. The whole question has been carefully considered, and revised instructions with regard to accommodation and sanitation, etc., are now in course of preparation by the Board of Trade. A considerable increase has recently been made in the staff of the Board's surveyors.