§ MR. J. G. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, as representing the Secretary for Scotland, whether his attention has been called to a statement in the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland to the effect that three-fourths of the Stornoway catch of herrings is annually exported to St. Petersburg, and that in 1896 a very serious loss was caused to the exporters through delay due to insufficient wharfage accommodation in getting the herrings unshipped at that port; and is he in a position to say whether any steps have been taken to have this matter represented to the Russian Government; and, if so, with what result?
§ *THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. GRAHAM MURRAY,) ButeshireRepresentations on this subject have from time to time been made by the Fishery Board and exporters of cured herrings to the Foreign Office, with the result that intimation was received in April last through the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, that the Russian Minister of Finance had instructed the Customs authorities to grant more wharfage accommodation for landing barrels of herrings, and that the Ambassador's request for additional shedding had been forwarded to the Municipal Authorities—a statement which was extensively published through the medium of the Press some time ago.