§ 35. Mr. RAMSAYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the copy sent to him of the resolution passed by the Glasgow associations of Inverness-shire, Skye, Lewis and Harris, Uist and Barra, Mull and Iona, Jura, Ross and Cromarty, Oban and Lorne, and Islay and Mid Argyll, at the annual meeting of the Highlanders' Institute, calling upon the Government to modernise and properly repair the piers in the Western Islands; and, if so, will he state, what action he proposes to take in the matter?
Mr. W. ADAMSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to replies which I have recently given on this subject and in particular to my replies of the 4th May and 18th June to the hon. and gallant Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Sir A. Sinclair), in which I indicated that legislation will be required before this matter can be comprehensively dealt with, and that I hope before long to communicate with the local authorities concerned.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONHas the right hon. Gentleman received the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Piers, and does he propose to take any action upon that report, if he has received it?
Mr. ADAMSONI have already intimated that I have received the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Piers.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONDoes the right hon. Gentleman intend to take any action or not?
§ Mr. RAMSAYWill the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration the fact that boats find great difficulty in approaching the piers on account of their primitive nature and also on account of the absence of breakwaters, and will he take all those points into consideration and do something?