1EMPORARY ESTATES. SPECIAL PROVISIONS TO WHICH PURCHASE OF LAND WAS SUBJECT AS REGARDS RE-SALE.

Sheffield (Tinsley).

Vendor to re-purchase (a) 2.44 acres, and (b) the remaining 15.21 acres at the expiration of (a) 7 and (b) 12 years, respectively, from the 1st May, 1924. The sites are to be cleared of bungalows by the Department at (or within reasonable time from) the respective dates. Price of land to be the rate at which the Department bought (viz., £150 per acre). The Department are not bound to reinstate the sites of roads nor remove drains or water pipes. If before the expiration of the periods named the Department desire to give up possession of either or both plots cleared of super-structures, the vendor must on receiving six calendar months' notice re-purchase on the same terms.

Woolwich (Archery Place).

Where (during the period from the date of the contract until the expiration of 20 years after the death of the survivor of the vendor or of the issue then living of His late Majesty King Edward VII) all or any of the temporary works or buildings on the site shall be removed or cease to be occupied as dwellings for more than one calendar month, the Department are to give notice thereof and the Vendor shall have the option of giving three calendar months' notice of his intention to re-purchase the whole or part of the site (as the case may be) at the fair value of the property (including buildings on the land if the Department have not demolished them).

Woolwich (Bostall).

For the purpose of purchase and re-purchase, the estate is divided into certain "blocks" and the purchase price was apportioned as between the blocks. The vendors must re-purchase any of the blocks if and when the buildings are cleared from the site, and in any event must re-purchase the whole of the estate by the 24th June, 1943, before which date the site is to be cleared by the Department. Re-purchase price is to be the market value at the time of re-purchase with a limit of 25 per cent. above or below the price of purchase.

Woolwich (Shepherds Farm).

The vendors have a right to re-purchase so much of the land as is not required for arterial roads to be projected through the estate. This right may be exercised by the vendors on their giving to the Department six months' notice (not to be given before the expiration of five years from the date of the contract (2nd March, 1925), nor later than the 29th September, 1941); but the Department may give notice within the same period to the vendors to exercise the right within six months from the date of the notice, failing which the right shall cease.

If at the time of re-purchase the temporary buildings existing at the date of the contract to purchase are still serviceable, the purchase price shall include their value. The Department shall have no claim for any buildings then upon the land other than those existing at the date of the contract to purchase.

Failing agreement the re-purchase price is to be referred to arbitration.

Coventry (Holbrook Lane) (part of).

The Corporation of Coventry have a right to re-purchase, either on prior notice by the Department within 20 years and six months from

15th February, 1924, or after that time on their declaration of intention, provided that if they do not exercise their right within six months of receiving notice from the Department, or 20 years and six months as the case may be, such rights shall cease. If the Corporation exercise their right, the Department are under obligation to remove the superstructures but are not bound to remove foundations, roads, footpaths, drains or sewers.

APPENDIX No. 11.

PAPER forwarded by Sir Lionel Earle, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., C.M.G.

H.M. OFFICE OF WORKS AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

HILLSBOROUGH CASTLE.

(Qs. 696-751.)

The original estimate of the cost of purchase, adaptation and furnishing of this building as the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland was:

The original estimate of the cost of adaptations and furniture could only be provisional, more exact figures depending upon a fuller investigation of requirements than was possible at the outset.

The increase in the cost of these services above the figures of the revised estimate is due in the case of adaptations to the necessity for providing accommodation for the officer of the guard, not at first anticipated, and to the cost of putting in order the gardens. In regard to furnishing, representations were made by the Northern Ireland Government, which were confirmed by the Home Office, to the effect that the furnishing should be on the same scale as in the ViceRegal Lodge at Dublin, and this involved the supply of articles not anticipated when the revised estimate was framed.

APPENDIX No. 12.

PAPER forwarded by Mr. H. A. Ferguson-Davie, c.B.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

VOTE OFFICE PORTERS.

(Qs. 1115-1126.)

There is a staff of 15 porters for the delivery of Parliamentary papers, four of whom are paid throughout the year, the remainder only during the Session. The majority are employed elsewhere during the Recesses. The normal hours of work per diem are between two and three hours, which represents one delivery, for which they receive a wage of 30s. per week plus riding allowance of 3s. per week. In the event of a late arrival of urgent papers, a second delivery is sometimes necessary, for which each porter receives 5s. per delivery. All porters are covered by Unemployment Insurance.

15th March, 1926.

(Signed)

HENRY A. FERGUSON-DAVIE,

Accounting Officer.

The Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury have had under consideration the question of Instructions regarding Consular Accounts, to which reference was made by the Comptroller and Auditor General in paragraph 35 of his report on the Civil Services Appropriation Accounts, 1924-25.

In the majority of cases salaried Consular Officers undertake transactions on behalf of other Departments in addition to Foreign Office business, but, in regard to those transactions, they account direct to the Departments primarily concerned and the Foreign Office has hitherto had no complete information as to the scope and nature of these transactions, nor control of the cash balances in the hands of salaried Consular Officers as a result of them. The balance sheets now rendered by salaried Consular Officers with their quarterly accounts to the Foreign Office generally contain no reference to transactions on behalf of other Departments.

Discussion has taken place between Their Lordships' officers and the officers of the Foreign Office and My Lords are in complete agreement with the view which They understand is held by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that it is desirable that the Foreign Office should control more completely the operations of its officers. If therefore Sir Austen Chamberlain concurs, My Lords desire that instructions should now be given to all salaried Consular Officers that

1. A separate bank account be maintained at each post for each Department for which business is transacted, and to which a separate account is rendered.

2. All such accounts at a given post be maintained at one Bank
3. Salaried Consular Officers should furnish with each quarterly
account a certificate from the Bank stating the balances on each
of the accounts standing in the names of the Consular Officers
concerned, thus:-

I certify that at the close of business on this day the balances
on accounts standing in the name of.......
are as follows:-