40. Major HOPEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he has received a letter from the Midlothian County Council requesting that in future the title "county of Midlothian" may be used by all Government Departments in connection with all local government affairs pertaining to the county; and whether, especially as confusion in business has sometimes been caused by different Government Departments using the different names county of Midlothian and county of Edinburgh, he can see his way to grant this request of the local authority chiefly concerned?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I shall be glad to communicate the wish of the county council to other Government Departments and so far as possible to give effect to it in the Scottish Office. I must, however, point out that in some eases the county is described as Edinburgh or Edinburghshire in Acts of Parliament, and in proceedings under those Acts it may be necessary to adhere to the statutory style.
Major HOPEWould it not be possible by any means to arrange that the county should be known entirely as the county of Midlothian?
Mr. McKINNON WOODIt would be possible by amending the Act, but it is a question whether it is worth the expenditure and the time.