§ MR. HARMSWORTH (Caithnessshire)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that an application has been made by or on behalf of the Trustees of the Wick Harbour for a loan, or a free grant, for the purpose of extending or improving the harbour accommodation at Wick to meet the growing requirements of the fishing fleets on the north-east coast of Scotland, he will say whether it is intended to make a free grant or to sanction a loan for the proposed work, and the conditions upon which same is to be given; and will he explain why a similar application made on two previous occasions has been refused; and whether the circumstances of the applicants have altered since the previous refusals.
1391 (Answered by Mr. Victor Cavendish.) I understand that an application for a loan has been preferred by the Wick Harbour Trustees to the Public Works Loan Board, who have it now under their consideration. A previous application was not entertained, as, on the occasion of the remission of an outstanding balance on an old loan in 1902, a condition was attached that no applications for further loans of public money should be made. As new facts have been brought forward by the hon. Member for Wick, this condition has now been waived.