§ MR. BUCHANAN (Aberdeenshire, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether it is the intention of the Government that in future the Fishery Board for Scotland shall only receive an annual grant of fixed amount instead of its annual expenses being borne \ on the Estimates as hitherto; whether frequent complaints have been made that the Board's executive functions, particularly as regards sea police, are inadequately discharged owing to want of funds; whether these executive functions, especially as regards the regulation of trawling, have recently been extended; and whether, in view of the fact that a fixing of the grant will prevent the proper exercise of these extended powers and stop any future extension of these and other powers, he will reconsider his decision to limit the grant?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANThe Fishery Board, under the Bill of the Government, will receive a fixed grant and the Brand Fees, which, as I will explain when I introduce the Bill, will place the Board in a better financial position than at present. There are, and always have been, complaints of insufficient protection to the fisheries. The increase in that protection has in past years come from the Admiralty, and the claim of the Scottish Fisheries on the Admiralty will not be affected by the Bill. When the hon. Member has heard my statement I think it possible, and indeed probable, that he will approve the financial proposals of the Bill.