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The Committee notes that no report has been received from the Government. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the following matters raised in its previous direct request:

        Article 1(c) and (d) of the Convention. In its earlier comments, the Committee referred to sections 221-224 and 225(1)(b), (c) and (e) of the 1894 United Kingdom Merchant Shipping Act, under which certain breaches of labour discipline by seafarers not endangering the ship or the life or health of persons may be punished with imprisonment (involving an obligation to perform labour) and deserting seafarers may be forcibly returned to their ship to perform their duties.

        The Committee previously noted that the draft Merchant Shipping Act dealing with Grenadian ships and vessels was introduced in Parliament but had not been proceeded in view of current efforts to codify a regional Merchant Shipping Code. It noted the Government’s repeated indication that efforts to codify a regional Merchant Shipping Code proceeded very slowly and that a new draft eventually had to be prepared. It notes the Government’s statement in its latest report that the new draft was being studied and was to be submitted for parliamentary approval during the last quarter of 1998.

        The Committee reiterates its hope that the Government will soon be in a position to indicate that the necessary legislative changes have been made and requests the Government to supply a copy of the new legislation, as soon as it is adopted.