§ Mr. WATTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, when an application is to be made by a Scottish local authority to the Development Commissioners for assistance in building any harbour, it is the duty of that local authority to apply first to the Treasury; whether the matter is then sent to the Scottish Office for their approval; whether it then goes to the Board of Trade, and, if approved by them, is returned to the Scottish Office; whether it then comes back to the Development Commissioners, who, if approving of it, hand the proposal to the Treasury to deal with; and, if so, will he adopt some more direct method in the future?
§ Mr. MASTERMANUnder the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909, an application for a Grant from the Development Fund must be made to the Treasury and forwarded by the Treasury to the Government Department concerned for transmission, with their report, to the Development Commissioners, who then make their recommendation to the Treasury. This procedure is statutory and I have no power to alter it. The Board of Trade is the Government Department primarily concerned with harbours, but in the case of a Scottish fishing harbour the Scottish Office and the Scotch Fishery Board would also be consulted.