§ MR. MACFARLANE (Argyll)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Harbour Trustees or any other body in Greenock, Port Glasgow, or Dumbarton have power under Statute to deposit any dredgings in Loch Long, or whether they have the permission of the Board of Trade to do so, in spite of the Petitions of fishermen and residents praying for protection?
§ MR. MUNDELLANo permission has been given to anyone by the Board of Trade to deposit dredgings in Loch Long. The Dumbarton Harbour Trustees 1064 have asked for such permission and been refused. The Greenock Harbour Trustees state that they have made no such deposit since October last, and that their dredger has been working for the Clyde Lighthouse Trustees referred to in the hon. Member's question last Tuesday. With regard to the Authorities at Port Glasgow I have received no complaint. So far as I have been able to ascertain, no statutory powers to deposit in Loch Long exist in any of the three cases referred to in the question.
§ MR. MACFARLANEIn case any Harbour Trustees, in spite of the refusal of permission, continue to make these deposits, will the power of the Board of Trade be exercised to put an end to the practice? Will the Board of Trade prohibit the practice and not merely refuse permission?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI am not aware that after refusal of permission any Harbour Trustees have continued making these deposits. But, if that be the case, we shall be only too happy to act as we did in the case of the Clyde Trustees and place the powers of the Board at the service of the residents.
§ MR. MACFARLANEI will supply the right hon. Gentleman with evidence of the fact that they are still making these deposits.