§ Mr. GATESasked the President of the Board of Trade Whether he is aware that the claim for loss of kit of George Summers, of 266, Cornwall Road, North Kensington, an engineer on the "St. Katherine," which was sunk in a part of the English Channel where no lights were allowed on the 13th September, 1917, is disputed by the Mercantile Marine Department on the ground that the loss was not due to war risk, although the man was covered by a certificate of insurance for £50 issued by the Department and in respect of which the premium of £l was deducted from the man's pay; and whether he will give directions for such claim to be met in accordance with the reply of the then President of the Board of Trade on the 31st May, 1916?
§ Sir B. CHADWICKThe insurance given was an insurance against war risks, and in administering the scheme the expression "war risks" was throughout interpreted liberally. This case was however, regarded as being altogether outside the scope of this particular insurance scheme, and therefore the claim could not be paid under it.
The reply dated 31st May, 1916, states:
Lose of personal effects through marine perils is not covered by the terms of the war risks scheme, but the Board of Trade 2568W are prepared to consider proposals as to the best method of dealing with these cases.No practicable proposal for dealing with loss of effects by marine perils was in fact placed before the Board of Trade, and no Government scheme was framed for dealing with this particular risk.