§ DR. MACGREGOR (Inverness-shire)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether, in connection with the Local Government Bill for Scotland, the Government will consider the expediency of enabling County Councils to acquire waste moorlands in the Highlands at prairie value, for the purposes of forestry, at the same time empowering the County Councils to assess the ratepayers for the necessary operations of planting and maintaining such lands, thus not only improving the climate, but creating work for the people and shelter for stock and game, the whole to be the property of the community in each county respectively?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir G. TREVELYAN, Glasgow, Bridgeton)I have already answered the hon. Member in reply to a question on the same subject. I have as yet received no communication from County 1158 Councils on the matter, implying that they are desirous of having powers for dealing with afforestation; and in any case the question must be considered irrespective of the Local Government Bill.