§ LORD HENEAGEMy Lords, I rise to ask the noble Lord who represents the Agricultural Department the Question standing in my name—namely, whether it is their intention to fill the vacancy caused in the chief inspectorship of the Sea Fisheries Department by the resignation of Mr. Archer, and if not, what provision they propose to make to enable the sea fisheries to have a responsible chief officer of the Fisheries Department of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD LUCAS)It is proposed to appoint to the vacant assistant secretaryship Mr. H. G. Maurice. Mr. Maurice is at present acting as private secretary to my right hon. friend the President of the Board, a post which he has filled for nearly three years. I hope it may be possible for him to take up the duties of the post at an early date. Mr. Maurice has been selected solely for his administrative qualifications, of which my right hon. friend has had exceptional opportunities of judging. We believe that the work of the division can best be carried on under an administrative head supported by an expert staff, and we have obtained the authority of the Treasury for a modest increase in the strength of the technical and scientific staff of the division by means of which I hope we may be able to give it a more effective organisation than at present.
§ LORD HENEAGEI should like to ask whether Mr. Fryer remains in the Department. Two thoroughly practical experts, Mr. Archer and Mr. Fryer, both of whom had the confidence of the sea fisheries industry, were appointed by Lord Onslow when the Fisheries Department was first instituted. What we want to know is whether there will really be one practical man left in the Fisheries Department. Mr. Maurice, I understand, comes from the Board of Education, and there is a rumour that Mr. Fryer is dissatisfied at having Mr. Maurice put over his head and is going to retire. If so, we want to know whether the opinion of some of those who have a right to speak on behalf of the trade will be consulted in the matter. At the present time the whole of the staff are theorists.
LORD LUCASWe have only recently had the Treasury decision both as to the appointment of Mr. Maurice and as to the increase they are going to give us to enable us to extend the technical and scientific staff. It is too early for me, therefore, to make any announcement with regard to that staff; but I can inform the noble Lord that we are fully impressed with the importance of having in the technical staff really first-class technical men and in the scientific staff first-class scientific men, the whole of them combined under one adminis- 438 trative head. I can without the least misgiving assure the noble Lord that we shall pay the fullest attention to that matter. As to his other question, whether my right hon. friend will consult with gentlemen interested, I can give no pledge. I can only say that I will undertake to lay that request before my right hon. friend.
§ House adjourned at twenty-five minutes past Six o'clock, to Monday next, half-past Eleven o'clock.