§ Mr. GOULDasked the Home Secretary what are the present Regulations govern- 1426W ing the employment of foreigners on the crew list of British vessels; if foreigners are being allowed to sign off vessels in this country; whether any control of the movements of such foreigners is being kept by the Department; and if his Department are taking effective steps to prevent the entrance into this country of Bolshevist propagandists under the guise of seamen?
§ Mr. SHORTTAs regards the first paragraph of the question, I am advised that the employment of foreign masters on board British ships is restricted by Defence of the Realm Regulation 37 D and that the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, prohibits the engagement of foreigners in the crew whose knowledge of the English language is insufficient. As regards the rest of the question, I beg to refer to the answer which I gave last Thursday to the hon. and gallant Member for the Penrhyn and Falmouth Division as to the close control which is maintained over the landing of alien seamen in this country.
§ Mr. GOULDasked the Home Secretary if he can state the actual number of seamen employed on steamships and sailing ships of foreign nationality who have deserted at British ports during the past five months; what steps are taken to procure the custody of foreigners who desert from ships; how many such deserters have been apprehended; whether these deserters have been able to substantiate their claims that they have been seamen either during or before the War; and whether he is satisfied that their discharge books and papers are genuine authorised documents?
§ Mr. SHORTTThis question is covered to some extent by the answer I have just given to another question by the hon. Member. But I may add that an alien seaman who lands without the permission of an aliens officer is liable to immediate arrest and prosecution. No separate record is kept of the numbers of alien seamen who land without permission and succeed in evading arrest, but the number is very small and there has certainly been no increase during the last five months. The discharge books and other papers of all alien seamen are carefully scrutinised both by the aliens officers and the police, and any forged documents would be at once detected.