§ Major GLYNasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to improve the present system of the international code of signals with a view to preventing vessels using signals of distress when merely requiring a pilot, or for other non-distress purposes; and whether shipowners and masters may be urged to dissuade passengers and crews in jeopardy of shipwreck from taking to their own boats when it is definitely known that a lifeboat is actually on the way, seeing that loss of life is constantly due to the premature launching of ship s boats under such circumstances?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONIf the hon. and gallant Member will be good enough to forward to me particulars of the cases he has in mind I will inquire into them, but I would point out at once that Section 434 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, already provides a remedy for the improper use of distress signals. If a master of a vessel uses any signal of distress except in the case of a vessel being in distress, he is liable to pay com-1316W pensation for any labour undertaken, risk incurred, or loss sustained in consequence of that signal having been supposed to be a signal of distress. As regards the second suggestion, the master of the ship must decide what is the best action to take in case of shipwreck, having regard to the circumstances of the case, and the Board would be most reluctant to interfere in any way with his discretion.