Mr. DUNDAS WHITEasked the Secretary for Scotland, with regard to the 87 acres (approximately) of land taken by the Admiralty, under the Defence Acts, in or about May of this year, near the entrance to the Cromarty Firth for the purpose of fortifying that entrance, in respect of which the arbiter proposes to award the owner £12,283 18s. 7d. and the tenant £2,407 18s. 10d., aggregating together £14,691 17s. 5d., if he will say what was being taken as the annual value for rating purposes of that property at the time when it was acquired by the Admiralty, or, if it was part of a larger rateable subject, what was the approximate area and character of that larger subject, what was being taken as its annual value for rating purposes at that time, and by how much that annual value has been reduced by reason of the severance of the acquired portion and the rights pertaining thereto?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI am informed that the land taken by the Admiralty formed part of two larger subjects, the annual values of which as entered in the 2133W Valuation Roll for the year 1913–14 was £395 10s. 10d. and £379 13s. 4d., respectively, and that the total area of the two subjects is approximately 1,940 acres. Their general character may be described as arable, pasture, and rough green and heather pasture. I am further informed that no adjustments of the values have yet been made for the current year's Valuation Roll.