§ MR. PIRIEI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War what is the sum allowed to the General Officer commanding the North British district for expenditure this year in Scotland on barrack accommodation, and if the sum is sufficient to replace the old Piershill Barracks, near Edinburgh, by modern cavalry barracks, of which several on a large scale have been built in England and Ireland during the last few years; and, if not, having regard to the fact that the annual average expenditure in round numbers on the provision of "barrack accommodation, excluding maintenance, during the five years 1892–97 has "been in England £560,000, in Ireland £116,000, and in Scotland only £7,000 per annum, he will look more closely into the requirements of this latter country in the future, and give attention to the suggested improvement?
§ MR. BRODRICKThere is no intention of building new cavalry barracks in Scotland, where there are no facilities for exercising cavalry in brigade movements or with other arms of the service; I fear, therefore, that I cannot hold out any hopes of a new cavalry barrack being built if the Piershill Barracks are given up. I may remind the honourable Member that, during three of the five years referred to, the Secretary of State for War was a Scotchman, representing a Scottish constituency, and therefore well acquainted with the requirements of the country.
§ MR. BRODRICKI am afraid I cannot state the exact sum.