§ MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the Scottish Fishery Board is collectively responsible to the Treasury for the whole of the moneys voted to it on the Estimates; whether the two scientific members of the Board claim for themselves the absolute right of the disposal of the £2,000 voted for scientific investigation, and decline to acknowledge the responsibility of the whole Board for its expenditure; and, whether the Government will consider the need of reorganizing the Board, and of revising and better defining its powers?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)The Fishery Board through the Chairman, who is the accounting officer, is collectively responsible for the whole of the moneys voted for it on the Estimates. I am informed by the Secretary for Scotland that he is not aware that the scientific members of the Board make any such claim as that indicated by the hon. Member, or decline to acknowledge the responsibility of the whole Board for the money voted for scientific investigation. The Government have the question of the Fishery Board under their consideration, with a view to legislation.