§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether the contract for the boat pier at Inverasdale has been signed; if not, what is the cause of the delay; and whether this pier was sanctioned by Colonel Malcolm, Chief of the Highlands and Islands Works Department, upwards of seven months since?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANThe contract for the boat pier at Inverasdale has not yet been signed. The plan was generally sanctioned by Colonel Malcolm last June, but was returned to the County Council to carry out some suggested alterations. It was not received back from the County Council until the 8th December. It was referred again to Colonel Malcolm, and approved by him on the 14th December. It was passed on to the Board of Trade, as required by the Act, and by them referred to the County Council on the 16th January, in order that certain requirements should be com- 1847 plied with. It has rested with the County Council ever since. The hon. Member will see that out of nine months the matter was in the hands of the Scotch Office for a week, and in the hands of the Government, in all five weeks, and the rest of the time with the County Council—where it is still. I wish the hon. Member would wake them up.