§ MR. J. G. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, seeing that the new cruiser for the Fishery Board for Scotland is to be delivered on or before the 1st July 1897, will he say whether the contract has been signed; and, if so, will he state the date of the contract and the name of the contractor?
§ *THE LORD ADVOCATEThe question of the larger of the two vessels to be acquired during the present financial year is still under the anxious consideration of the Fishery Board, but matters have not yet reached such a stage as to admit of the contract being placed in the hands of any firm. It has, however, been ascertained that it would be impossible to have the vessel built by the 1st July.