§ 47. Mr. N. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of crew carried by the fishery cruiser "Freya"; and what are the sanitary and bathing facilities provided for the crew?
§ Mr. SKELTONThe complement of the fishery cruiser "Freya" consists of five officers and 15 men. There are three water closets and two baths. There is no fixed bath in the forecastle accommodation but buckets, together with fresh water (hot and cold), are available for all hands.
§ 48. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland where the "Brenda," the "Norna," and the "Explorer" were on 6th October; where they sailed from; and the destination they sailed to?
§ Mr. SKELTONThese vessels were all at Leith on the morning of 6th October. The "Brenda" sailed at 1 p.m. on that day for patrol duty on the East Coast station. The "Norna" sailed on 13th October for patrol duty on the North Coast station, having been engaged in boiler cleaning in the interval. The "Explorer," which is not a patrol but a scientific research vessel sailed on 10th October for Aberdeen to resume scientific research work in the North Sea.
§ Mr. MACLEANIs it not time the Scottish Fishery Board reconsidered the matter of the coaling of these fishery cruisers, and instead of bringing them down from the Shetlands, the Moray coast, and the West coast of Scotland to Leith and Greenock, could they not be coaled near where they are operating so that they may keep a closer watch?
§ Mr. SKELTONMy hon. Friend must recollect that in passage to the coaling ports they are still available for patrol work and, secondly, there is the question of the relative expense of coal at such outlying places as the Shetlands or the Orkneys as compared with the more central ports.
§ Mr. MACLEANIs it not the case that the fleet has to coal, or does coal, at Invergordon, and could not the fishery cruiser which cruises about that area coal there also, instead of having to come down to Leith?
§ Mr. SKELTONThe problem of coaling large warships is different from that of coaling small patrol vessels.
§ Mr. MACLEANThe coal is the same.
§ Mr. SKELTONIn the one case you can easily employ a collier and many colliers are needed; in the other case, only a small amount of coal is put into the bunkers.
§ Mr. MACLEANCould not arrangements be made with the Admiralty in order to get the coaling done on the spot and so keep the vessels at the place where they are cruising, instead of having them taken away for a week at a time?
§ Mr. SKELTONI will consider that point.
§ 49. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number 1325 of days spent by the "Norna," the "Freya," and the "Minna" coaling at Leith or Greenock during the past year?
§ Mr. SKELTONDuring the past year the "Freya" and the "Noma" spent 17 days and 11 days respectively coaling at Leith, and the "Minna" spent 14 days coaling at Greenock.
§ Mr. MACLEANDoes not the number of days that these vessels have to be away from their cruising points, with no other cruiser taking their place in their absence, show that there is a possibility for illegal trawling to be done?
§ Mr. SKELTONYes, but, of course, my hon. Friend will realise that wherever the coaling takes place, the actual time spent in coaling would put the ship out of action from the patrol point of view.