Harbours (Scotland) Bill [H.L.] (Hansard, 28 January 1982)

§ The Earl of Mansfield
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be read a third time.

§ Lord Boothby
My Lords, I beg the noble and learned Lord's pardon for interrupting his putting of the Question, and I certainly do not wish to dispute his authority, but I was informed by the Vote Office—I made careful inquiries—that any noble Lord who was bold enough to jump to his feet on the Motion, That the Bill be read a third time, would and should be called. Otherwise, my Lords, I would never have dared to do so. I do so on this occasion only because I want to say that, although there are very few advantages in living to the age of 82, one of them is that on rare occasions one lives to see the achievement of work which one has done for most of one's life. It happens very rarely, but for me this is one of those occasions.
I was the Member of Parliament for East Aberdeen— shire—of which Peterhead is the leading or co-leadingcity—for 34 years. For 34 years I struggled with the problem with which we are dealing and have now successfully dealt. Then nothing could be done about it, 1063 apparently, by any Government department. Like most Governments, successive Governments were sympathetic but impotent; and so this great harbour, and it is a great harbour, remained split, impotent, divided between convicts and fishermen—the great bay of refuge denied, more or less, to the fishing fleet, with no adequate fishing harbour! This went on and on, and for 35 years I struggled to get some order into the business.
My Lords, now we have got it; but I am afraid it was not Boothby that did it. It was oil, an even more potent force. Oil successfully forced the Government's hand and, once forced, it has been enforced in good measure. This is a drastic Bill. It gives great and necessary powers to the Government of the day. I am sure the noble Earl, Lord Mansfield, will agree, it is really built round the harbour at Peterhead and its particular problems. That is why I take a great personal interest in it. But it also applies all round the coast of Scotland. I believe there are several harbours off the West Coast, for example, where similar problems arise; and, when they do, I hope that we may have an assurance from the noble Earl that the provisions of this admirable Bill will apply and will apply to them equally as they are now being applied to Peterhead.
My Lords, I should like to say one word in conclusion. The noble Lord, Lord Ross of Marnock, opened the new harbour at Peterhead. I had the honour of opening the new fish market at Peterhead. Since then, Peterhead has become the leading white-fish importing harbour in this country. I think that that is enough to make both the noble Lord, Lord Ross of Marnock, and the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, feel pleased and proud.

§ The Earl of Mansfield
My Lords, perhaps I should respond briefly to the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, who we are delighted to see pronouncing upon this penultimate stage of this little Bill. I think it is no exaggeration to say that the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, is regarded as the personification of East Aberdeenshire, not least by the many fisherfolk whom he represented with great distinction and assiduity over many years. This Bill is the culmination of a great many efforts of a number of people. It allows the Secretary of State for Scotland to disengage from the day-to-day management of Peterhead Bay Harbour for which until now he has been the harbour authority. There will now be a new authority who will have all his powers, and the responsibility for the harbour will pass in this manner. This is a natural and, I think, proper development in the history of Peterhead Bay. As I said on the Second Reading of this Bill, if other harbours in Scotland find themselves in similar circumstances, then the same procedures can be followed without the necessity for primary legislation.

§ The Earl of Mansfield
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass.