§ Mr. CURRIEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the military authorities on 3rd Nov-November, 1914, entered into a lease of a portion of Damcroft Mills, Peebles, at a rent of £20 per month terminable on one week's notice; that they gave notice to terminate the lease on 14th October, 1915, and paid the rent of £20 per month until 21st October, 1915, when the notice expired; that the military authorities continued their occupancy of the premises by tacit relocation; that the liquidator of the owning company who was in possession of the premises, forwarded to the chief War Department land agent on 8th July, 1916, a claim for rent from 21st November 1915, until 7th March, 1916, when the mills were sold by him; that the claim was acknowledged on 12th July, 1916, by the 1834W chief War Department land agent; that the solicitors for the liquidator have since that date sent repeated reminders and had interviews with the Scottish Command with the view of getting the matter disposed of; that the command land agent, Scottish Command, wrote on 9th April, 1918, suggesting that the solicitors should get into communication with the War Department valuer, Edinburgh; and that the solicitors wrote to the War Department valuer, Edinburgh, on 13th April, 1918; and whether, seeing that no reply has been received from the War Department valuer, the Department is now prepared to order repayment of the amount of the claim?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am making inquiry into this matter, and I hope to be in a position to inform my hon. Friend of the result within the next few days.