§ 19. Lady Tweedsmuirasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will request the White Fish Authority to speed consideration of four applications for loans or grants to build trawlers in Aberdeen, in view of the difficult shipbuilding position.
§ Mr. MaclayI understand that the Authority's Scottish Committee has, in accordance with a policy discussed with the trawler owners' association, deferred consideration of three applications and that a fourth has been withdrawn. 412 Decisions on individual applications are a matter for the Authority and much as I regret the shipbuilders' difficulties I could not properly intervene.
§ Lady TweedsmuirIs my right hon. Friend aware that there are applications outstanding with the White Fish Authority for building in the shipyards of Aberdeen which would not come under the category he has mentioned? Could he not make representations to the White Fish Authority, at a time when orders are few and it is very important to try to keep skilled men together in teams, that these applications should be considered with greater speed than they are at present?
§ Mr. MaclayAll I can undertake to do is to study my hon. Friend's supplementary question, because I was not aware of the particular point she made in the first part of it.