§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the disposal of Borgie estate by his Department.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 4 May 1993]: Borgie estate was gifted to the nation by the Duke of Sutherland in 1917 for the settlement on the land of returning service men from the 1914–18 war. To take account of changed circumstances, the purposes of the gift were extended in 1960 and the variation to the deed of gift stipulated that if, at any time in the future, the Secretary of State for Scotland should contemplate disposal of the land, he shall first offer it back to the Duke of Sutherland or his successors. Against this background the reconveyance of Borgie estate to Sutherland Estates took place on 28 April 1993, in accordance with Government policy on the disposal of surplus land.