HC Deb 09 April 1936 vol 310 cc2959-60W
Sir R. TASKER

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any action has been taken to prevent the inadequate manning of foreign coasting ships since the sinking of the Dutch motor vessel on the 10th March?

Mr. CAPE

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give particulars of the crews of foreign ships engaged in the British coasting trade that have been the subject of inquiry as to manning; and whether he can state the extent to which juvenile members of the captain's family have counted as part of the ship's crew?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

By Article 48 of the International Safety Convention, contracting Governments undertake to ensure that, from the point of view of safety of life at sea, their ships shall be sufficiently and efficiently manned. The Board of Trade can intervene in regard to the manning of a foreign ship sailing from a United Kingdom port only if by reason of undermanning the ship is unfit to proceed to sea without serious danger to human life. No such cases have come to the board's notice in recent years. I have no information as to the extent to which juveniles have been counted as part of the crew on foreign ships.

Mr. CLARKE

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the tonnage and percentage by which foreign shipping engaged in the inter-port trade on the British coast increased in 1935 compared with 1934 and 1933; also in the first two months of this year compared with the first two months of 1935 and 1934; and whether he can state the number and tonnage of motor coasters up to 750 tons net built, respectively, in Holland and the United Kingdom during the past three years?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

The tonnage of the foreign vessels, including their repeated voyages, that arrived and departed with cargo in the coasting trade of Great Britain in 1935 was 125,658 tons net (29 per cent.) greater than in 1934 and 148,477 tons net (36 per cent.) greater than in 1933; the tonnage in the first two months of 1936 was 102,493 tons net (109 per cent.) and 93,761 tons net (91 per cent.) more than in the corresponding periods of 1935 and 1934.

Particulars are not available of the number and tonnage of motor vessels built exclusively for the coasting trade in Holland or the United Kingdom. Motor vessels up to 750 tons net launched at ports in the United Kingdom in 1932 numbered 126 (3,510 tons net), in 1933, 200 (6,114 tons net) and in 1934, the latest year for which information is available, 284 (9,212 tons act). Similar particulars of vessels built in Holland are not available but according to the Annual Summary of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, motor ships between 100 and 999 tons gross launched in Holland during 1932, 1933 and 1934 numbered 27, 18, and 23; all these were below 500 tons gross except one of those launched in 1933. The actual tonnage of these vessels is not stated.