§ MR. ANSTRUTHER (St. Andrews, &c.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the Report of Messrs. Stevenson, Engineers to the Fishery Board for Scotland, contained in Appendix L., No. 1, of the Eleventh Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 1892, in which Messrs. Stevenson state, with reference to Anstruther Union Harbour, if these large boats are to prosecute the fishings with advantage they must he able to enter and leave the harbour at nearly all states of the tide, and this object can only be attained by the construction of breakwaters outside the present entrance; and whether the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury will reconsider their refusal, in reply to a 112 Memorial of the Commissioners of this harbour, to make any grant for the purpose of these necessary improvements?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) OldhamI have seen the Report referred to. I am afraid that nothing has occurred to enable me to add to or modify the answer which I gave my hon. Friend on the 23rd February last. In that answer I explained carefully the reasons why, in the absence of any effort on the part of the locality chiefly interested to forward the scheme of improvement, the Treasury did not feel justified in adding to the large amount spent upon the harbour from moneys provided in one form or other by Parliament—namely, £80,000—for none of which has the State received any return.
§ MR. ANSTRUTHERWill the Treasury give a favourable answer to the communication of the 27th July, in which the Harbour Board ask leave to apply to the works an unexpended balance in their hands of £300?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI will inquire. I have not seen the application.