§ MR. EDWARDSI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the sporting rights mentioned in the last Report of His Majesty's Commissioners of Woods and Forests and Land Revenues as having been leased in the counties of Radnor and Merioneth to certain persons for terms of 10 and 20 years were duly advertised so that the public had an opportunity of applying for them; and whether a valuation was made by a responsible agent of the sporting right in the county of Radnor which is now leased at a less rent than was previously obtained.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe leases referred to in the question are three in number, two being of sporting in Merionethshire, and one of sporting in Radnorshire; they were not advertised. The first Merionethshire lease was to the old tenant who agreed to pay its full value as estimated by the Crown valuer; the 690 second Merionethshire lease comprised the shooting over three farms recently bought by the Crown, and over some Crown waste adjoining them. It was part of the bargain with the vendor of the farms that he should have such a lease. The Radnorshire lease was granted to the only person who could be got to make an offer for it. The previous tenant refused to renew, and all likely persons were invited to tender, but it was not thought worth while to incur the expense of advertising or getting a valuation in such a small case.