§ Sir A. SHIRLEY BENNasked the President of the Board of Trade how many British passengers ships are fitted with submersible pumps of the type in use in His Majesty's Ship "Hood"?
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§ Mr. HACKINGAll the larger seagoing passenger vessels, the keels of which were laid on or after 1st January, 1921, have been required to be provided with a submersible pump of a type approved by the Board of Trade, and a considerable number of the larger passenger vessels built before that date have been fitted with submersible pumps by the voluntary action of the owners. To ascertain the exact number of passenger ships started before and after January, 1921, which are fitted with submersible pumps would involve a great deal of labour, and, unless my hon. Friend has some particular object in view, I am doubtful whether it is worth while undertaking it. In any case, the Board of Trade could not undertake to state how many ships were fitted with any particular make of submersible pump.