Mr. David Adamsasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to remedy the acute shortage of junior officers and engineers in the British Mercantile Marine reported in the sixth report of the tramp shipping administrative committee; and whether, in view of the urgency of this matter, both for British trade and for the defence of the realm, he will undertake an inquiry into the conditions and service and remuneration of officers and engineers in the Mercantile Marine?
Mr. StanleyI am informed that there is no general shortage of junior navigating and engineer officers, and I hope that the revised regulations for the examination of engineers, which will come into operation in September next, will encourage engineer apprentices to take the Board's examination for certificates of competency as engineers in the Mercantile Marine.
Questions relating to the conditions of service and remuneration of deck and engineer officers in the Mercantile Marine are primarily matters for the consideration 201W of the appropriate panels of the National Maritime Board, and I know of no grounds for instituting a special inquiry.