§ MR. J. G. WEIRI beg to ask the Lord Advocate, (1) whether he is aware that the Island of North Uist is the property of one landlord, and that Crown officials at Lochmaddy (North Uist), the seat of the sheriff court, are dependent upon this landlord for residence in the island; (2) whether he is aware that, at a trial held at that court in November last, the fact that the sheriff substitute was under notice of eviction, and that the Procurator Fiscal had already been evicted, was adduced by a solicitor as a reason for want of public confidence in the administration of the law; and, (3) whether it is proposed to take any steps to obtain for Crown officials security of tenure in their homes in the Island of North Uist?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Sir CHARLES PEARSON,) Edinburgh and St. Andrew's UniversitiesI am aware of the circumstances referred to in the question. I cannot, however, admit the assumption that they do in any way affect the due administration of the law. As the hon. Member must be aware, there is no means of compelling proprietors to grant feus, and there is no intention at present of taking any such step on behalf of Crown officials as is suggested in the third paragraph.