§ Mr. STEWARTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Regulations as to life-saving apparatus are the same on coasting steamers as on sea-going ships; whether the steamship services to the Isle of Man, Ireland, and Scotland are looked upon as coastal or sea-going services; and whether all such steamers, especially those to the Isle of Man, are fully equipped for all eventualities and provided with life-saving appliances in due proportion to the number of passengers carried?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am sending the hon. Member a copy of the statutory rules as to life-saving appliances, and he will see that home-trade steamers are divided into several classes according to the character of the waters in which they ply. Steamers running from England to the Isle of Man, or to Ireland, or to Scotland are sea-going and have to carry boats or buoyant apparatus for at least 70 per cent, of those on board, in addition to a life-jacket for each person and ten lifebuoys. In fact, these steamers generally carry boats or buoyant apparatus for all on board.