HC Deb 13 February 1913 vol 48 cc1217-8W
Mr. MACPHERSON

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to state definitely what answer has been given by the Office of Woods and Forests to the application of the inhabitants of Alness for the right to fish, on payment of a reasonable rent, on some pools of the Crown fishings of the River Alness; whether there was any power in the lease given by the Crown to the late Mr. Stuart-Munro to sub-let, either personally or through his trustees, these fishings; and whether these fishings have actually been sub-let?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

My colleague has informed the hon. Member that it is not in his power during the currency of the Crown lease, which does not expire until the year 1928, to grant the inhabitants of Alness the right to fish on some pools of the Crown fishings of the River Alness. The lease of salmon fishings given by the Crown to the late Mr. Stuart C. Munro forbids sub-letting except with the consent of the Commissioner of Woods. A consent was given last season to a subletting, which has now expired. The fishings are not now sub-let, and it is not proposed to give the Crown's consent to another sub-letting. The only lever that my colleague has possessed in this case is the power to refuse such consent. There is nothing in the Crown lease to prevent the lessee from giving leave to others to fish. I may explain that my colleague has been endeavouring since July last to arrange with the late Mr. Munro's trustees for permission to fish being given to the villagers. The trustees offered in October last to arrange, for the present, to grant permits to applicants from the village of Alness to fish on Wednesdays during the fishing season to about the end of July in each year, the permits to apply not only to the Crown waters, which are about half a mile long, but to about three miles of the trustees's private water. The trustees stated that this would be reviving the former practice of the late owner, which had been suspended for two years. The offer of the trustees was immediately declined by Mr. D. M. Ross, who says he represents the villagers, and who demanded a lease of the Crown waters direct to a proposed angling club, the club to allow Mr. Munro's trustees to fish in them for three days a week in return for permission to fish for the same number of days in the waters of the trustees. My colleague has endeavoured to persuade the trustees to enlarge their offer of October, but they state that they do not see their way to doing so. I may add that the threats made by certain persons to take the law into their own hands are not likely to help the negotiations.