§ DR. G. B. CLARK (Caithness)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether, as the fishermen in the North of Scotland have chartered at their own expense a steamer 273 to patrol the Moray Firth to prevent illegal trawling in that district, as the cruisers employed by the Government are insufficient in number and deficient in speed, arrangements will be made to provide efficient cruisers to detect and prevent illegal trawling in the protected districts of the North of Scotland?
MR. GRAHAM MURRAYI understand from the Fishery Board that a steamer was chartered for the purpose stated, but, so far as I know, she has failed to detect any British trawlers fishing within the prescribed area. She certainly is not faster than, nor, indeed, so fast, as the Government cruisers which have been patrolling the Moray Firth.