§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, having regard to the fact that up to the 31st March, 1904, the sum of £23,875 3s. 8d. had been spent by the British Government in connection with the international scheme for investigating problems concerning the fisheries of the North Sea and adjacent waters, will he state what sum had been expended up to the 31st March last; and, seeing that the original estimate for expenditure on these investigations was fixed at £42,000, will he state whether it is proposed to increase that amount.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY(Mr. VICTOR CAVENDISH, Derbyshire, W.)The sum expended up to the 31st of March, 1905, was £36,814 3s. 2d., leaving, out of the sum of £42,000 originally agreed to by Parliament, a remanett of £5,185 16s. 10d. The work was not begun till July, 1902, and the three years would end in July, 1905. His Majesty's Government have agreed to continue the grant for a further period of two years.