HC Deb 04 April 1895 vol 32 cc926-7
MR. CYRIL DODD (Essex, Maldon)

I beg to ask the Comptroller of the Household, as an Ecclesiastical Commissioner, whether he is aware that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners own most of the land of the village of Thorverton, Devon; whether Messrs. Clutton, as agents of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, have acted under the instructions of the Commissioners in declining to let to the Council of that parish land they desire to take for allotments under The Local Government Act, 1894, and whether such refusal is upon the ground that some of the proposed tenants are not labourers, but persons such as the village baker, carpenter, postmaster, and the like; and, whether he will call the attention of the Commissioners to the fact that the Act imposes no such restriction to the labouring classes as is suggested in regard to the hiring of land?

MR. LEVESON-GOWER (Stoke-upon-Trent)

In the parish of Thorverton, in which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners are large landowners, the wants of the labouring population in the matter of allotments have been fully met. Nearly nine acres have been set apart for this purpose, and there are also a number of small holdings. The present applicants are tradesmen in the village who ask for some small pasture fields in the valley now occupied by farmers, together with hill arable farms. The Commissioners are not prepared to deprive their farm tenants of land which is specially valuable to them merely for the advantage of those engaged in other kinds of business.

MR. DODD

asked the hon. Gentleman whether he was aware that the hiring sections of the Act contained no limitation, and that they did not incorporate the old Allotment Act, and that, therefore, they appeared to be entitled to its provision.

MR. LEVESON-GOWER

said that subject had already been dealt with by the President of the local Government Board in answer to the hon. Member for Epsom.

MR. DODD

asked whether the hon. Gentleman could take the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown upon the subject, because many of them were of opinion that there was no limitation.

MR. LEVESON-GOWER

said the hon. Member had better put a question of that kind to the Law Officers.