§ MR. WATTI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can 1289 now state the decision of the Government with reference to the recommendations of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into certain matters affecting the interests of the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland?
§ DR. CLARKI beg, on the same subject, to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether it is the intention of the Government to adopt any of the schemes proposed by the Royal Commission on the Highlands and Islands; and whether they intend to do anything in reference to the matter during the present Session?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH, Strand, Westminster)The Government have come to certain decisions in regard to the First Report of the Royal Commission on the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and are now engaged in the consideration of the Second Report. We shall shortly have to ask the House to provide money to carry out those recommendations of the Commission which the Government has decided to adopt; and I think it advisable to postpone till then any statement of our intentions, as any information which I could give at present would be incomplete, owing to the serious indisposition of the Secretary for Scotland, who has taken the greatest interest in the question, but has been unable to confer with his Colleagues upon the matter since the December Session.