HC Deb 01 July 1897 vol 50 cc865-6
MR. CALDWELL

On behalf of the hon. Member for Ross and Cromarty, I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether, in view of the fact that the Daisy, with a complement of seven, and the Beatrice with a complement of five, both engaged in the duty of protecting the interests of the line fishermen against illegal trawling, are, by reason of their being sailing vessels, quite useless to watch and overtake fast and powerful steam trawlers, will the Government arrange for steam cruisers to be substituted; and if not, will he state what steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take for the better protection of those parts of the coast where the sailing vessels Daisy and Beatrice are now employed?

THE FIRST LORD or THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover Square

The Daisy is constantly employed under the Fishery Board for Scotland entirely in the inshore waters of the Firth of Clyde and Loch Fyne districts. The gunboat Starling is stationed in the Clyde district and is very frequently employed on Fishery duties. The Beatrice is only occasionally employed on Fishery duties. There are two fast torpedo gunboats and a steam cruiser already frequently employed in the districts to which the Beatrice belongs.