§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received a copy of a Resolution which was carried unanimously at a recent meeting of the Ross and Cromarty County Council, calling upon Her Majesty's Government to take steps to prevent trawlers destroying fishing banks and immature fish within the 13-milo limit; and, further, that fishing banks situated in firths or inlets of the sea be at once closed to trawlers, as otherwise a large fishing population who are entirely dependent on line fishing for their existence will be deprived of their means of gaining a living; and will he state whet or to Powers Signatories to the North Sea Fisheries Convention have been communicated with on the subject, or whether any other steps have been taken in the matter.
§ MR. BRODRICKVarious resolutions have been received to the effect named in the Question. As I stated on the 13th inst., it is hoped that the Hydro-graphical Conference, for which the Swedish Government are issuing invitations, will shortly assemble.