§ 35. Mr. T. KENNEDYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can make any statement with regard to the financial position of certain of the northern harbours, and particularly with regard to Fraserburgh; if he is aware that this small harbour in indebted to the Loan Board £230,000, the Development Commissioners £15,000, and that there is another loan, hardly yet drawn on, of £31,250, both these later loans having been postponed to the Loan Board; that since 1925 the harbour commissioners have been trying to induce the Loan Board to agree to consolidate the outstanding balance of the loans and to grant a new loan at the average rate of interest on the existing loans, repayable by instalments over a period of 50 years; whether it is proposed to make provision for loans granted by the Loan Board as well as by the Development Commissioners; if he is aware that Fraserburgh's revenue from all fishing duties is about £15,000; and whether the matter is engaging his attention?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Sir John Gilmour)I refer to the reply which I gave yesterday to an unstarred question by the hon. and gallant Member for Ayr Burghs (Lieut.-Colonel Moore) showing the amount of dues received at various fishery harbours in Scotland. In supplement of it I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table 2325 giving approximate figures of the Debts and Debt Charges. The figures given in the second part of the question are substantially correct, but the amount of the advances from the Development Fund is approximately £23,000. I understand that the Fraserburgh Harbour Commissioners have for some time been in communication with the Public Works Loan Commissioners on the subject of consolidation of existing loans. The proposals for remission or suspension of loans to which I referred in my statement in the House on 25th April apply only to the Development Fund. Loans by the Public Works
| DEBTS ON SCOTTISH FISHERY HARBOURS. | ||||
| Table prepared from information in the Accounts of the various Harbour Authorities. | ||||
| Harbour. | Total Debt. | Annual Debt Charges. | Net Ordinary Revenue available for debt charges. | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Peterhead | … | 154,881 | 9,163 | 9,700 |
| Fraserburgh | … | 308,517 | 21,071 | 10,084 |
| Wick | … | 168,400 | 10,661 | 6,271 |
| Buckie | … | 174,283 | 9,839 | 4,891 |
| Macduff | … | 100,257 | 4,931 | 970 |
| Lerwick | … | 43,839 | 2,717 | 3,463 |
| Stornoway | … | 2,203 | 958 | 5,601 |
| Whitehall | … | Separate figures not available as undertaking owned by Orkney Harbours Commissioners. Combined figures for Whitehall, Kirkwall, Scapa, Holm and Kettletoft shown below. | ||
| Orkney Harbours Commissioners | … | 20,512 | 2,846 | 3,260 |
| Eyemouth | … | 9,138 | 994 | −134 |
| Anstruther | … | 6,650 | 926 | 149 |
| St. Monance | … | 2,000 | 84 | 135 |
| Stonehaven | … | 28,784 | 773 | 85 |
| Cairnbulg | … | 1,633 | 136 | — |
| Gardenstown | … | 4,571 | 134 | 114 |
| Cullen | … | 3,343 | 283 | −189 |
| Portknockie | … | 11,516 | 751 | 431 |
| Findochty | … | 10,126 | 453 | −3 |
| Nairn | … | 9,818 | 829 | −120 |
| Cromarty | … | 4,053 | 172 | 141 |
| Brownies Taing | … | 4,231 | 162 | 15 |
| Ullapool | … | 4,341 | 138 | 27 |
| Girvan | … | 18,359 | 1,127 | 322 |
§ Notes.—(1) Annual debt charges include annual charges for principal and interest in respect of Government loans, interest and sinking fund on other secured debts, and interest on temporary loans (bank overdrafts, etc.) so far as ascertainable. In some cases figures have had to be estimated. No provision is included for repayment of capital of temporary loans or for meeting arrears of instalments of secured debts.
§ (2) The Annual Accounts of the various Harbour Authorities from which this Table has been prepared are not compiled on a uniform basis nor for identical periods. Owing to these reasons and to incompleteness in the information and special circumstances in particular cases some of the figures must be regarded as approximations or estimates.