§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total cost of Bute House, Edinburgh; what is the total number of staff engaged; what is the estimated cost to public funds of heating and lighting the house in the current financial year; and who will be responsible for paying the rates.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellNo. 6 Charlotte Square and the two adjacent houses were accepted by the Government in 1966, at a valuation of £70,000, in part satisfaction of duty on the estate of the Fifth Marquess of Bute. The three houses were put into the care of the National Trust for Scotland, which has let No. 6 at a nominal rent to the Bute House Trust, a private, independent, body. The latter trust adapted, redecorated and furnished the house, without any help from public funds, and it also pays for heating, lighting, rates, and any staff which it employs.