§ MR. LAMONT (Buteshire)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether, in view of the distress prevailing in the West of Scotland, through the failure of the herring fishery for the last three years, the Fishery Board for Scotland will take action on the lines of such of the resolutions as were carried unanimously at the Fishery Conference held at Rothesay, in November, 1905, at which all sections of the fishing industry were represented; and whether, in default of such action, the Board proposes to take any action whatever.
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Mr. SINCLAIR,) ForfarshireThere are conflicting views as to the causes of the failure referred to and as to the advisability of a close time, and I understand that at the Rothesay Conference strong protests were made from more than one quarter against a close time. The whole subject is at present under careful investigation.