§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the levying of Light Dues at the Port of Stornoway is seriously injuring the trade of that town, and that masters now proceed to foreign ports to obtain stores; and whether he will abolish or reduce the Light Dues in the case of all vessels calling there to purchase limited supplies of provisions and bunker coal?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideThe only information which I have upon this subject is contained in a letter which I received from the hon. Member in December last. Vessels calling for bunker coal only are at present exempt from the payment of Light Dues; and, as I informed the hon. Member on Friday last, the question of extending this exemption to vessels which, under certain circumstances, put into port for provisions, is now being considered with a view to the same exemption.