§ Colonel YATEasked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will, when the Merchant Shipping (Convention) Bill becomes law, make a rule under Clause S (3) that passenger steamers, to which the convention applies, shall not be deemed to be sufficiently and efficiently manned unless carrying a certificated master and at least three officers holding Board of Trade certificates for grades not lower than those held, respectively, by them on board the steamer?
Mr. ROBERTSONI doubt if rules could be made under the provisions of Clause 8 of the Merchant Shipping (Convention) Bill to increase the number of certificated officers, which is at present fixed by Section 92 of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 as amended by Section 56 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906. I hope, however, shortly to introduce a Bill to deal with the question of certificated officers generally.