§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the North Sea international scientific investigations have now sufficiently advanced to enable the Government to form an opinion as to the advisability of closing against foreign as well as British trawlers areas such as the Moray Firth; and, if so, will he consider the expediency of recommending the Foreign Office to communicate with other European Powers on the subject, especially having regard to the fact that at the Christiania Conference a resolution in favour of closing such areas was carried.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)The Answer to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's Question is in the negative. The International Council has not yet expressed any opinion on the point.