§ Mr. MACPHERSONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the depredations of seine-net boats and drifters working inside the limit in the Dornoch and Moray Firths and the hardships thereby inflicted on the local line fishermen; and whether he will give immediate consideration to the stationing of a speed boat, say at Portmahomack harbour, for policing purposes?
Mr. ADAMSONSeveral complaints of illegal fishing have been received from the areas mentioned during the past month. These have been investigated and the areas have been vigilantly patrolled by the Board's cruisers. Two seine-net fishing boats were detected during the month and steps have been taken with a view to prosecution of the skippers concerned. It is not considered that the stationing of a speed boat at Portmahomack harbour would be justified or satisfactory, but the question of equipping a cruiser with such a boat for service in the inshore waters of the Moray Firth generally is under consideration.
§ Mr. MILLARasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can give the latest figures available, showing the amount of debts at present resting upon each of the Scottish fishery harbours; and whether he can state in each case the amount which he is prepared to recommend should be remitted?
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Mr. ADAMSONAs the reply to the first part of the question involves a table of figures I propose, with the hon. and learned Member's permission, to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement giving in round numbers the approximate amount of the debt on each harbour. With regard to the second part I would refer him to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has just given to a question on this subject by the hon. and gallant Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Sir A. Sinclair).
Following is the statement:
Debts on Scottish Fishery Harbours. Harbour. Debt. £ Peterhead 155,000 Fraserburgh 308,000 Wick 176,000 Buckie 184,000 Macduff 100,000 Lerwick 44,000 Stornoway 2,200 Orkney Harbours Commissioners* 20,500 Eyemouth 10,200 Anstruther 7,200 St. Monance 2,000 Stonehaven 29,000 Cairnbulg 1,600 Gardenstown 4,500 Cullen 3,300 Portknockie 11,500 Findochty 10,000 Nairn 10,000 Cromarty 4,000 Brownies Taing 4,200 Ullapool 4,300 Girvan 18,300 * Combined figures for Whitehall, Kirkwall, Scapa, Holm and Kettletoft.