§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Lord Advocate if he will state the amount expended by the Congested Districts Board, since its formation, in the acquisition of land in each of the six crofting counties for the purpose of creating new holdings.
* MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYThe hon. Member's question does not admit of any categorical answer which would not be in a sense misleading. I may, however, state that the amount expended in actual purchase of land has been for Syre (Sutherland), £10,546, and for Barra (Inverness), £7,500; and, further, that all the operations in the direction of extending small holdings, including purchase, have cost up to date nearly £39,000. This includes loans 1399 and other repayable sums, but is exclusive of liabilities of considerable amount which have not yet matured.