§ MR. ESSLEMONT (Aberdeen, E.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government intend to deal with the tenure of fishermen's dwellings in the Local Government Bill for Scotland next Session; and, whether the Committee on Small Holdings recently appointed will take evidence on the subject?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster), in reply, said, he thought the hon. Member must be aware that it would be quite impossible to state the provisions of a Bill which might be introduced in the next Session. So far as the latter portion of the Question was concerned, it was for hon. Members themselves, who were interested in the tenure of fishermen's dwellings, to tender evidence on the subject to the Committee on Small Holdings, which was a Government Committee in the proper sense of the word.
§ MR. ESSLEMONTsaid, the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the latter part of the Question.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, he took no responsibility upon himself with reference to the Committee; but he should imagine the matter would be within their Reference. It depended upon the Committee whether they should meet during the present Session.
§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)asked, whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that, though this Committee was to examine into small holdings in Scotland, there was no Member for a Scotch county on the Committee?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, the House had appointed the Committee, and the hon. Gentleman should have raised the question before; but there were several Scotch Members upon the Committee.