§ 28. Sir WILLIAM BYLESasked when the land valuation now proceeding will be completed; and what steps, if any, he pro poses to take in order to secure that the valuation roll, when complete, shall be open for public inspection?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe service of the provisional valuations will, it is estimated, be completed by the 31st March, 1915. With regard to the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street on the 12th March last.
§ 29. Mr. WEDGWOODasked, in view of the interest, taken by the public in the Land Inquiry, if he will say when he expects that the Report of that inquiry will be published; and whether it will include any definite recommendations for legislation?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAs regards the first part of the question, I can at present add nothing to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on the 21st 2191 January last to the hon. Member for Dulwich. As regards the second part, I must ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of the Report, as its contents are a matter for the Committee itself.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODWill the report be upon the subject of the recommendations or merely a report of the existing conditions?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am afraid that I cannot answer that question without notice.
§ Mr. MILDMAYWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the fact that taxation on agricultural land means taxation on what the land produces?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThat is rather a disputable economic proposition.
§ 50. Mr. NEWMANasked the Prime Minister whether he is in a position to give the names of the Committee which has recently been collecting information on behalf of the Treasury with regard to the migration of labour from rural districts, the effect of land monopoly in the towns on the well-being of the community, and other kindred subjects?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI presume that the hon. Member means the unofficial Committee, which has been inquiring into various aspects of the land question. If so, I can only refer him to previous answers on the subject.
§ Mr. NEWMANIs it not the case that those investigators owing to the fact of the names having been suppressed have been called "ferrets," "spies," and other opprobious names?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am not responsible for that.
§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Prime Minister whether the cost of a scientific questionnaire recently issued to obtain information witb regard to the present system of land cultivation, the waste attributable to the depredation caused by game, and loss due to lack of enterprise or insufficiency of labour will be defrayed from public funds; and, if so, on what Vote will such cost be borne?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe answer to the first branch of the question is in the negative; the second part does not therefore arise.
§ 57. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the Prime Minister if the proposals for the regeneration of rural life, submitted in outline on Friday last at the National Liberal Club and announced since in greater detail, through the Press, represent the land policy of His Majesty's Government?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am not aware that my right hon. Friend in his speech on Friday last formulated any proposals with regard to the land question. Any statements that have since appeared in the Press purporting to state the intentions of the Government are pure efforts of the imagination.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question. Will he say whether the statements that have been made in the Press and the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement at the National Liberal Club do represent the intentions of His Majesty's Government?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI have answered that question. My right hon. Friend made no proposals at all. He dealt with certain evils and problems which he said required consideration. As to statements in the Press I recommend the hon. Gentleman to do as I do, and pay no attention to them whatever.
§ Mr. NEWMANDoes the use of the word "we" by a Cabinet Minister indicate collective Cabinet responsibility?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is a question of grammar.
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, Sir, not at all.