§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty in what respect the powers of compulsory purchase conferred on the Admiralty by The Naval Works Act, 1895, were announced to be 696 defective; and what was the estimate of the cost of providing by that method in the case of Rosyth.
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. PRETYMAN,) Suffolk, WoodbridgeI am not aware that the powers referred to in the first part of the hon. Member's Question have been announced to be defective for the purposes for which they were granted by Parliament. It does not, however, follow from this that these powers could have been enforced over the whole area which has now been acquired by the Admiralty at Rosyth. It is obvious that no accurate forecast could be made of the sum an arbitrator might have awarded under the compulsory purchase clauses supposing them to have been enforceable, but the Admiralty were advised that it might probably exceed the amount agreed to by private treaty.