§ MR. CROMBIE (Kincardineshire)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been directed to the fact 807 that most of the fishermen of Collieston have deserted that village and migrated to Torry, because, amongst other things, the harbour is not adaptable to the larger class of boats now indispensable to successful line fishing; whether the Fishery Board has spent a sum of about £3,000 on the harbour now deserted; whether it has been the policy of the Fishery Board to refuse help to the larger class of harbours, such as Stonehaven, which could with some improvement be admirably adapted to the modern class of boats, on the ground that these were not purely fishing harbours; and whether this policy would, in the light of such cases as Collieston, be still continued.
§ * MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYI am informed by the Fishery Board that it is not a fact, as stated by the hon. Member in the first paragraph of his question, that most of the fishermen of Collieston have deserted that village. The Fishery Board are assisting the fishermen and their proprietrix, at their most urgent request, to erect a harbour at Collieston, which is now approaching completion, and the fishermen appear satisfied that the harbour will be quite sufficient and suitable for their boats. The Secretary for Scotland sees no reason why the Fishery Board should alter their present policy, which is, to a large extent, guided by statute.