§ MR. MCCRAE (Edinburgh, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any inquiry has been made as to the acquisition of ground adjacent to Piershill barracks, so as to provide suitable accommodation for a regiment of cavalry.
§ MR. BUCHANANThere is no ground that can be acquired immediately adjacent to Piershill that would enable the barracks to be extended or rebuilt so as to provide suitable accommodation for a regiment of cavalry.
§ MR. PIRIEasked upon whose Report the barracks had been declared to be insanitary; would the Report be made public?
§ MR. BUCHANANsaid there had been no Report which had declared the barracks insanitary, but from time to time there had been cases of diphtheria and typhoid fever.
§ In reply to a further Question by Mr. Cochrane,
§ MR. BUCHANANsaid that in the course of last spring complaints were received of serious illness in the barracks and a Report was called for on that account.
§ * MR. COCHRANEWill that Report be published?
§ MR. BUCHANANI cannot say.
§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAY (St. Andrews Burghs)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War how many horses and men are now quartered in Piershill Barracks.
§ MR. BUCHANANAccording to the latest Returns the numbers were as follows:—359 horses and 459 men.
§ MR. WATT (Glasgow, College)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what was the amount of the valuation recently made of Piershill, how many square yards there are within the walls of the barracks, and what is the value per yard of ground in the immediate neighbourhood when sold for building purposes.
§ MR. BUCHANANAs regards the first Question, no valuation has recently been made of Piershill. The Answer to the second Question is 53,240 square yards. I have no information as regards the third Question.