§ 91. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the President of the Board of Trade what regulations he imposes on fishing trawlers to protect them from the dangers of ice in Arctic seas.
§ Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu:A temporary operational restriction off North Iceland was agreed at my meeting with the industry on 8th February. There are no statutory regulations regarding operations or equipment designed specifically to cover the problem of icing. This will be one of the aspects of trawler safety which the independent committee of inquiry will investigate.
§ 92. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the President of the Board of Trade if he
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§ Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu:I assume the hon. Member is asking about scheduled services.
Weekly scheduled passenger services were:
will make a statement on the scale of compensation available to the crews and their families suffering from exposure to unusual and unpredictable dangers in Arctic seas.
§ Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu:There is no scale of compensation. Seafarers, including fishermen, are generally covered for the appropriate benefits of the National Insurance and Industrial Injuries Schemes. Additional assistance is available by way of supplementary benefits.
§ 93. Mr. James Johnsonasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to find out the possibilities of clearing ice from the superstructure of fishing trawlers by means of electronic methods using ultra-sonic vibrations.
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§ Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu:Possible methods of de-icing are among the many aspects of trawler safety that the committee of inquiry will need to investigate. The Board of Trade with other Departments concerned will consider what research can usefully be undertaken in the meantime.