§ Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the regulations of the International Council for the Fishery and Hydrographical Investigation of the North and neighbouring seas provide for a meeting of the Council at least once every twelve months; whether no such meeting has been held since July, 1910; whether considerable dissatisfaction is felt by the foreign representatives on the Council at the neglect of the President of the Council to call a meeting; whether the failure to call such a meeting can be excused on the ground that the regulations provide that in cases of emergency resolutions of the Council can be passed by correspondence; whether he will inquire into the reasons for the delay which has occurred; and whether he is prepared to issue instructions to the President of the International Council (who is an official of the Board) for the calling of a meeting at an early date; what is the reason for the delay in the publication of the annual report of proceedings under Acts relating to sea 590W fisheries for the year 1910, and when the publication of this report may be expected; what is the reason for the continued delay in the negotiations which are taking place between the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Development Commissioners with respect to Grants-in-Aid of fishery development; and whether he will cause the whole of the correspondence which has passed between the Board and the Commissioners to be printed and laid before Parliament at an early date?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Regulations of the Council do not require that a meeting shall be held once every twelve months. Meetings are called by the International Bureau, and not by the President, and it was with the unanimous consent of the Council that the date of the next meeting as postponed. A final revise of the Report under the Sea Fisheries Acts for the year 1910 is now with the printers, and I hope it will be issued very shortly. The Board are still in communication with the Commissioners with a view to the adoption of a comprehensive scheme of fishery development, and in the meantime an interim grant of £5,960 has been sanctioned by the Treasury for work to be done during the ensuing financial year. A copy of the correspondence will be laid before Parliament so soon as the negotiations on the subject are concluded.