asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, considering that in consequence of the international importance of the distribution of shipping information, Lloyds are unable to acquiesce in transference of their existing agreement to the Board of Trade, he is prepared to state that the coastguardsmen employed at Lloyds' signal stations shall, as in the case of naval signalling stations, continue to be under the immediate control of the naval authorities?

As stated by the First Lord on 21st instant, the views expressed by Lloyds are receiving the most careful and sympathetic attention.