Merchant Shipping Act 1906

41 Provisions for relief and maintenance of distressed seamen

(1) Where either—

(a) any seamen, whether subjects of His Majesty or not, are found in any place out of the United Kingdom, and have been shipwrecked from any British ship or any of His Majesty's ships, or by reason of having been discharged or left behind from any such ship in any place out of the United Kingdom, are in distress in that place, or

(b) any seamen, being subjects of His Majesty, who have been engaged by any person, acting either as principal or agent to serve in a ship belonging to the government or to a subject or citizen of a foreign country, are in distress in any place out of the United Kingdom,

the proper authority as defined for the purpose in this Part of this Act may, and, if not a merchant, shall, in accordance with and on the conditions prescribed, by the distressed seamen regulations, provide in accordance with this Act for the return of those seamen (who are in this Act included in the term distressed seamen) to a proper return port, and also provide for their necessary clothing and their maintenance until their departure for such a port, and, in addition, in the case of shipwrecked seamen, for the repayment of any expenses incurred in their conveyance to port after their shipwreck, and their maintenance while being so conveyed.

(2) The authority shall be paid in respect of the expenses incurred under this section on behalf of distressed seamen such sums as the Board of Trade may allow, and those sums shall, on the production, of the bills of disbursements, with the proper vouchers, be paid as provided by this Part of this Act.