§ Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has informa- 870W tion as to what the individual owners of British merchant ships interned in enemy countries are doing in the way of sending parcels of food to their crews who are held captive in Germany and Turkey and supplementing the weekly sum payable to the dependants of these prisoners in necsssitous circumstances in this country, beyond paying 20 per cent, of the weekly allowance, the maximum amount of which is £l, which is paid out of the Board of Trade War Risks Insurance scheme; and, if he has not any such information, whether he will take the necessary steps in obtaining it if possible?
Mr. HARCOURTThe action that is taken by individual owners in this matter would not necessarily be reported to the Board of Trade. Such action is entirely voluntary, and I do not think the matter is one in which the Board of Trade could well call for a return.