§ Colonel DAYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether there are any Regulations in existence to compel the owners of steamships using British ports instructing passengers in the use of life-belts or life-jackets; and whether these Regulations have been put into operation on all steamships between England and the Continent?
§ Sir B. CHADWICKStandard Regulations, with regard to the mustering of crews and passengers on different classes of ships, were drawn up in 1913 and revised in 1926, after consultation with the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee, and issued to shipowners by the Board of Trade. These Regulations, which are not compulsory, provide for illustrations showing the method of adjusting life-jackets being placed in suitable positions about the ship, and this is generally done on British passenger ships
648Wthe British Mercantile Marine during the current year are those showing the engagements of British and foreign sea-ment at mercantile marine offices in the United Kingdom. The following table gives the number of engagements during each of the first three quarters of this year. The totals for 1924, 1925 and 1926 are also given for purposes of comparison.
Separate figures relating to Russian subjects cannot be compiled.