§ MR. S. SMITH (Flintshire)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether be is aware that a piece of common land, three acres in ex- 591 tent, situate in the township of Ewloe Town, Buckley, Flintshire, has been recently let or leased by the Lord of the Manor to Major J. M. Gibson, of the Engineer Volunteers, for any purpose, and for a term of years; that the land is now being enclosed with corrugated iron seven feet high; and that the public footpaths will be either blocked or diverted by the enclosures; and whether the consent of the Board of Agriculture has been either asked or given to the proposal?
§ MR. H. GARDNERI have received a communication containing statements to the effect set out in the question of my hon. Friend, and I have replied that no application for the consent of the Board of Agriculture to the enclosure of any part of the common in question has been received. I have no jurisdiction to take the initiative, or, indeed, any active stops, in stopping encroachments on commons; but when the Local Government Act comes into force, the District Councils will be in a position to investigate complaints, such as that made in the present instance, and it will be competent for them, with the consent of the County Council, to aid commoners in maintaining their rights, if they think the extinction of such rights would be prejudicial to the inhabitants of the district.