§ Miss Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the exact figure which the Lord Chancellor's Department has agreed to pay to him for Bilsborrow Hall, Bilsborrow, near Preston, Lancashire.
§ Mr. EyreThe Lord Chancellor's Department is not required to pay for Bilsborrow Hall. The purchase price of £100,000 is met from the Votes of my Department.
§ Miss Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Environment who examined Bilsborrow Hall, Bilsborrow, near Preston, to assess its suitability for judge's lodgings on behalf of his Department.
§ Mr. EyreThe Lord Chancellor's Department having confirmed that size and location were suitable, professionally qualified persons employed by or commissioned by my Department examined 35W and reported favourably on the soundness of the structure and general condition of Bilsborrow Hall.
§ Miss Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer of maintaining Bilsborrow Hall, Bilsborrow, near Preston, as a judge's lodgings.
§ Mr. EyreAt this stage, it is difficult to provide an estimate, but it is not expected that, on average, such expenditure will exceed £1,000.
§ Miss Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what authority owns the judge's lodgings at Lancaster.
§ Mr. EyreI understand that the judge's lodgings at Lancaster are owned by the Lancashire County Council, which has the future use of the premises under active consideration.
§ Miss Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Environment at what figure the district valuer valued Bilsborrow Hall, Bilsborrow, near Preston, Lancashire, when its acquisition for judge's lodgings was under consideration.
§ Mr. EyreThe figure, being the open market value assessed as for compulsory purchase at November 1972, was £40,000. But the decision to purchase at a price of £100,000 was based on the overall economics of the case and if possible alternatives which had little relation to the open market value of Bilsborrow Hall.
§ Miss Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what figure has been agreed to be paid for furniture and funishings at Bilsborrow Hall, Bilsborrow, near Preston.