§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.)To ask the Secretary to the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Gas and Bell Buoy, which was to be erected at 430 the Tuns Bank entrance to Lough Foyle, has, despite the protests of the masters of the Canadian mail steamers and of the cross Channel steamers, been erected by the Commissioners of Irish Lights at the other side of the entrance to the lough, where it is not only useless for the purpose for which it was intended but when the light goes out becomes a danger to vessels making for Lough Foyle; and, if so, will he request the Commissioners to have it removed from its present position to the Tuns Bank, the place designated for it by all the master mariners frequenting the Port of Londonderry.
(Answered by Mr. Bonar Law.) The reasons which guided the Commissioners of Irish Lights in selecting the existing site for this buoy were given by my right hon. friend the President of the Local Government Board in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on March 29th, 1904.† The Commissioners now inform me that they cannot yet say whether they will be able to bring the buoy nearer to the bank or not. The Board of Trade have no power to interfere with the discretion of the general lighthouse authority in the matter.