§ MR. SCARISBRICK (Dorsetshire, S.)I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he is aware that, owing to the inaction of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, more than 100 licensed watermen have for a long time been prevented from earning a livelihood by trawling in Weymouth Bay; and will he say when the Board will confirm the by-laws which wore made by the Southern Sea Fisheries Committee so long ago as the 20th September, 1905, and the suitability of which has been proved in evidence at the public inquiries held in relation to such by-laws.
§ THE TREASURER OF THE HOUSEHOLD (Sir EDWARD STRACHEY, Somersetshire, S.)The delay in arriving at a decision in this case has been due to the fact that since the original proposal was made in 1905 several alternative or counter proposals have been placed before the Board, and it has been necessary to hold three public inquiries and to make other local investigations, which wore only completed last month. We are now in communication with the Committee, as required by the Act, with reference to the exact form of the by-laws, and, so far as the Board are concerned, there will be no delay in bringing the matter to a conclusion.