§ Mr. HAYDN JONESasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether the control of the mussel-cleansing tanks at Conway has been acquired by the Ministry of Agriculture from the Conway Corporation under the Defence of the Realm Regulations; whether, when the Defence of the Realm Regulations come to an end, the control of these tanks will revert to the Corporation of Conway; and, if not, under what statutory authority the Corporation of Conway have transferred the rights they acquired under Section 3 of the Schedule attached to the Sea Fisheries (Conway) Provisional Order Confirmation Act of 1912?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe Ministry, with the full concurrence of the Corporation, took possession of the tanks referred to under the Defence of the Realm Regulations and have since purchased them. Their control will not revert to the Corporation when the Regulations come to an end. The rights acquired by the Corporation under the section referred to have not been transferred by the Corporation.
§ Mr. JONESasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether he has had the Regulations to be observed by the users of the Conway mussel purification tanks translated into the Welsh language; and, if not, whether instructions will be given for these Regulations to be translated into Welsh and circulated forthwith, seeing that the 1292W majority of the fishermen are very imperfectly acquainted with the English language?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe Regulations have not hitherto been published in Welsh, but there is no reason to doubt that they have been well understood. I have, nevertheless, given instructions for a Welsh translation of them to be prepared and circulated among the fishermen concerned.
§ Mr. JONESasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether he is aware that two of the fishermen who have been debarred from the use of the mussel-cleansing tanks at Conway for alleged breach of the Regulations strongly deny that they were guilty of such alleged breach of the Rules; and, in view of the fact that these men are deprived of their means of earning a livelihood unheard, will he state what control the Ministry exercises over their subordinate officials at Conway and whether any, and, if so, what right of appeal to the Ministry is open to the fishermen accused of breaches of the Regulations?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, but the evidence against the men is conclusive. In reply to the second part of the question, every fisherman excluded from the tanks can appeal, directly or through the Fishermen's Society, to the Ministry, and the cases in question were all reviewed by the Ministry. I may add, for the information of the hon. Member, that the four fishermen referred to will be re-admitted to the use of the tanks as from the 11th inst., having been excluded for one month. They have been warned that any further breach of the Regulations will involve more serious consequences.