HC Deb 28 March 1938 vol 333 cc1645-6W
Mr. D. Somerville

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken since the establishment of the British mandate in Palestine to develop coastal trade to encourage a certain proportion of the new population to take up a maritime career; and what facilities are now available in Palestine for the provision of nautical education?

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

The Government of Palestine has undertaken various measures of harbour development and the like for the benefit of all shipping using Palestine ports, but no special steps have been taken by Government to undertake coastal shipping, which is considered to be a matter for private enterprise. I understand that one Jewish company is at present engaged in this traffic. There are no facilities in Palestine for advanced nautical education, but there is a society with branches in Haifa and Tel-Aviv which gives training to its members in the science of navigation and seamanship and, in addition, a number of vessels calling at Palestine ports have recruited Palestinians as members of their crews. The question of arranging for tests of competency of Palestinians in the higher grades of seamanship by the Board of Trade is at present under consideration.