§ MR. PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he has any information to give, in accordance with the hope he expressed earlier in the Session of being able to make a statement before the end of the Session, on the subject of the existing, state of affairs in the closed waters of the "Moray Firth; whether, having regard to the value and importance of the national fishing interests, the Government would take into, consideration during the Recess the advisability of taking steps, by the appointment of special officers or otherwise, to procure information regarding fishing questions at the great Continental fishing centres and have such information communicated to the Board of Trade and the Scottish and Irish Fishery Boards, such information to be published here for the benefit of British fishing interests; and whether there is any intention of advancing the interests of the fishing industry by strengthening the Fishery Department of the Board of Trade?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.With regard to the first paragraph I have to say that the existing state of affairs in the closed waters of the Moray 283 Firth has been discussed by the House and the situation has been fully explained by the Lord Advocate. There is nothing I can usefully add to what my right honourable Friend has said. With regard to the second and third paragraphs, the Government do not propose to appoint any special officer in the sense contemplated in the Question, but as a matter of fact special officers are sent from time to time to the Continent to collect information bearing on the fishery interest.
THE FIRST LORD OF TES TREASURYPerhaps the honourable Member will be good enough to address that Question to the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
§ MR. PIRIEI hope if I do that I may get some decided answer, for hitherto I have simply been referred by one Minister to another.