§ 43. Mr. WINGasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he has received a resolution from Houghton-le-Spring Rural Council to the effect that the public should during the present food crisis have free access to the rivers of the country, with a view to increasing our home-produced food supply, and that the Board of Agriculture should remove the present restrictions; and, if so, will he say what steps, if any, he proposes to bring about this result?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir Richard Winfrey)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Similar resolutions have been received from a number of local authorities. It is not clear what is intended by the expression "free access to rivers and lakes"—whether, for instance, it is suggested that a general right of trespass shall be conferred upon the public, or that existing licence duties and by-laws should be abolished. It does not appear to the Board that circumstances have as yet arisen which would warrant so drastic an interference with private rights or action liable to have so prejudicial an effect upon the future welfare of our inland fisheries. The Board expect to receive now at an early date the interim report of the Committee which is considering the question of the utilisation of the freshwater fish supplies of the country, and do not propose to take any general action in the matter till they have considered the report.
§ Mr. WINGMay I take it from that reply that the Board itself is opposed to taking any action whatever in order to give more free and better access to the rivers of the country?
§ Sir R. WINFREYI do not think the hon. Member can come to that conclusion. We have an open mind on the subject