§ MR. BEALE (Ayrshire, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the threatened recommencement of the discharge of mine water into the River Girvan of such a nature and in such quantities as to destroy the salmon and other fish; whether he is aware that the provisions of the existing Acts for prevention of river pollution were, on former occasions of such discharge, found insufficient to prevent the almost total destruction of fish life in the river; and whether he will take steps, by amendment of those Acts or other legislation, to prevent the discharge into rivers of all mine or other water of such a nature and in such quantities as above mentioned.
§ MR. SINCLAIRI have no official information, but I understand the facts are substantially as are stated by my hon. friend. It would seem to be the duty of parties interested in the river, in the first instance, to raise objections to the threatened discharge of mine water. I should like to be quite clear that existing legislation is insufficient to meet the difficulty before considering any change in the law.