§ MR. WATT (Glasgow, College)To ask the Lord-Advocate whether his attention has been called to the case of a shipment of coal to Barcelona by a firm of coal exporters to the order of J. and P. Coats, Limited, of Paisley, in January last; whether he is aware that in the case a fraudulent certificate was issued by the exporter saying the coal was a specific brand, whereas it was not; whether this practice is a common one in such shipments, and therefore calls for the attention of his Department; whether the Crown Agent in Edinburgh forbade the procurator fiscal from prosecuting in this case; and, if so, will he state to the House the grounds on which such practices are condoned by his Department.
(Answered by Mr. Thomas Shaw.) I beg to refer my hon. friend to the Answer given by me on this subject on Monday last to a Question put by the hon. Member for East St. Pancras, to which I have nothing to add.