§ MR. TENNANT (Berwickshire)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the existing distress among large numbers of Her Majesty's subjects on our north-eastern coasts, and especially at Eyemouth; whether he is aware that this painful condition is, in the opinion of those best qualified to form an opinion, the direct result of a form of fishing by beam and otter trawling; whether Her Majesty's Government intend to adopt any precautionary measures to safeguard the spawning beds and the immature fish from this means of fishing beyond the existing law, which has proved inadequate to meet the situation; and whether he will consent to institute an inquiry into the condition of these fishermen, or whether he can undertake to introduce measures for the relief of this distress?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYAs the honourable Gentleman is aware, the effect of trawling upon the line fisherman has been a subject of interest and anxiety, not only to this Government, but to its predecessors. I do not know what particular amendment of the law the honourable Gentleman desires, but it is possible the Conference about to be entered upon on the subject of the North Sea fisheries may suggest some improvement in the existing state of things.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Aberdeenshire, E.)Will the right honourable Gentleman be able to lay before the House the instructions given to the representatives of this country at this Conference and the correspondence which took place between the various Powers upon it?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI will ask the honourable Gentleman to put that Question down on the paper.