MARQUESS Of TULLIBARDINEasked the Secretary for Scotland the age of the chairman of the Liberal Association of Inverness-shire, who has been appointed to a clerkship on the Land Court; what is his salary; what is the amount of pension attached to the appointment and at what 2286W age is it payable; what legal training did he have and for how long; in what business capacity has he been engaged since that time; whence was his agricultural knowledge derived; whether he gives his full time to the business of the Land Court; whether the Land Court has been given powers to make appointments of such importance without reference to the Secretary for Scotland; whether this gentleman has now to take up his residence in Edinburgh; and whether there is no Civil servant qualified for the post?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe appointment was made by the Land Court under Section 3, Sub-section (7), of the Small Landholders Act. The salary of the gentleman in question is £200, rising to £300. The pension conditions for Land Court staff will be those ordinarily applicable to such posts; but, in view of Mr. McTavish's age on appointment being sixty-one, I do not anticipate that any question of pension will arise in his case. I understand that he served a full legal apprenticeship of five years with a solicitor, and that later on he entered into a grain and agricultural produce business, from which he has acquired considerable agricultural knowledge. His full time will be given to the business of the Land Court, and he will reside in Edinburgh.