§ MR. HARMOOD-BANNER (Liverpool, Everton)I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the Board of Agriculture, whether he will inform the House of the number of notices to quit served upon the agricultural tenants of Crown lands, specifying the length of previous occupation by such tenants and the special reasons given for terminating such tenancies; and what steps are being taken to form such lands when vacated into small holdings, and where such lands are situate.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEY (Somerset, S.)In consequence of the death of two of the Crown tenants, notice to quit has been given to their representatives. The tenants in question had occupied their farms, which are situated at Holbeach and at Walpole St. Andrews and Wingland, for twenty and fifteen years respectively. The farms referred to will not come in hand till next Michaelmas, and my noble friend is unable at present to make any statement as to the use that will be made of them. In addition, before my noble friend was appointed a Commissioner, notice to quit was given in the case of a farm near Scarborough, on the ground that the tenants did not themselves occupy the land, but were merely middlemen and that land was required by the Local 751 Authority for small holdings and allotments.