MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether in view of the alarm and hostility excited among the coast fishermen by the Undersized Fish Bill, he can undertake that this Bill shall not be further proceeded with during the present session.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)I understand from my hon. friend the Member for North Huntingdonshire that a compromise has been agreed to. I am not aware of its exact nature but I understand that the President of the Board of Agriculture is prepared to accept an Amendment that no Order of the Board under the Bill shall be applicable to any sailing vessel unless and until the Board is satisfied that such sailing vessel has been engaged in trawling on the eastern grounds as defined in a schedule to be added to the Bill.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESYes, but that compromise has been rejected at large meetings of fishermen at Aldeburgh and at King's Lynn, where it has been resolved that no such Amendment would remove their objections to the Bill.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWell, I can only say I hope it will prove satisfactory and that the Bill will be proceeded with without further delay.