§ SIR T. ESMONDEIn the absence of the hon. Member for South Down, I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the last Report of the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries, in which complaints are made of the harbour accommodation at Newcastle, County Down; whether he is aware that a number of Newcastle fishermen during the past year lost their lives at sea owing to the small boats they were obliged to use, as there is no harbour accommodation for the larger boats required for fishing there; whether he is aware that Newcastle is situated between Ardglass and Kilkeel, and that during the past year there were captured off Ardglass 10,293 cwt. of herrings, sold at £4,732, and off Kilkeel 9,100 cwt. of herrings, sold at £2,880; whether, exclusive of mackerel and herrings, upwards of 194 tons of fish caught at Newcastle were during the same period carried by the Belfast and County Down Railway from Newcastle; and whether, considering the favourable situation of Newcastle as a fishing station and the danger to the lives of the poor fishermen, he will consider the desirability of providing proper harbour accommodation?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) OldhamThe complaints are not made, as suggested in the question, by the Inspectors of Fisheries, but are only referred to in their summary of the Coast Officer's Report, and are not ascribed to anyone in particular. It is true that some lives have been lost, but there is a harbour suitable for the largest boats at Ardglass, about 30 miles from Newcastle, on which £45,000 has been spent. The particulars given in the third and fourth paragraphs are correct. There are no funds available for expenditure at Newcastle, and I see no reason to differ from the view expressed by my right hon. Friend the Member for North Leeds (Mr. Jackson) when Secretary to the Treasury on the 7th March, 1890.