§ Colonel YATEasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to obtain crews for canal boats; and whether partially disabled soldiers can be or are being trained for this purpose?
Mr. ROBERTSThe Canal Control Committee, in addition to taking steps to 1451W retain men already engaged in working canal boats, are endeavouring, with the help of the Port and Transit Executive Committee and the Employment Exchanges and by any other means, to obtain more men to man the boats. It is doubtful whether partially disabled soldiers, unless they were previously employed on canal boats, could usefully be used as crews of such boats, but the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion has been brought to the notice of the Committee.