§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Lord Advocate, having regard to the fact that the fishermen of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have repaid as much as £24,000 out of the £30,000 advanced up to the close of 1890 for the purchase of fishing boats, will the Fishery Board, now that £6,000 only is owing, consider the expediency of again granting loans of this description.
§ *MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYThe hon. Member is correct in stating that £24,000 has been repaid, but it must be remembered that that figure includes interest as well as principal. £8,818 principal and interest is still in arrear, of which £5,721 has had to be written off as irrecoverable. The Fishery Board do not propose to revive the loans for the present.