§ MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for West Dorset, I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, seeing that the map accompanying Mr. Hunter Pringle's Report to the Royal Commis- 1275 sion on Agriculture is drawn from the Ordnance Survey maps, he will give instructions that the acreage of the area marked on that map in black may be ascertained; and whether he will endeavour to ascertain the extent of land, in addition to that marked in black, that has been thrown on the landlords' hands since 1879?
§ MR. H. GARDNERThe acreage of the area marked in black on the map to which the hon. Member refers is 28,222 acres and 28 poles, as will be seen by reference to the note on the subject at the foot of the map. I should be very glad if the information suggested in the second paragraph of the question were available, but I am very doubtful whether it would be possible to obtain it with any accuracy. The matter is one, however, which would naturally be considered by the Royal Commission, with whom, if necessary, I should be very happy to cooperate, in the event of its being found practicable to institute an inquiry.