MR. J. CARVELI, WILLIAMS (Notts, Mansfield)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether the occupiers of the agricultural land held by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners on behalf of the Established Church will have, under the Agricultural Land Rating Bill, the benefit of exemption from the payment of one-half of the rates payable thereon: And, whether the number of acres of such land can be stated, and also the total amount of the rates now payable thereon to which the Act will apply?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. HENRY CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, SleafordThe occupiers of agricultural land held by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners will, under the Bill, be in the same position as regards rating as the occupiers of land of other owners. I am informed that the agricultural land belonging to the Commissioners may be roughly estimated as rather less than 300,000 acres. I can give no estimate of the total amount of the rates paid in respect of this land. ["Hear, hear!"]