§ MR. A. ALLEN (Christchurch)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board how many allotment holders received notice from Lord de Ramsey in the spring of 1906; how many of such allotment holders have since obtained allotments under the urban district council; and whether the rental charged by Lord de Ramsey to the urban district council is more than that previously charged to the men.
MR. STANLEY WILSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a case for libel is pending with regard to this question?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. John Burns, Battersea)Yes, Sir; and my Answer will not in any sense affect that. I am informed that the number of holders of allotment lands belonging to Lord de Ramsey in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire who received notice from him in the spring of 1906 was 580, of whom 488 held allotments in the urban district of Ramsey. It is stated that twenty of these persons resided outside the district, thirty-two more occupied other allotments, and forty-six occupied other land to the extent of five or more acres, and that hence the number of the previous allotment holders for whom the urban district council could provide allotments was 390. The number of persons who have taken allotments under the council is209, some of whom, however, had not previously held allotments. It is added that the council had the opportunity of acquiring land for all persons qualified and willing to accept allotments under them, and that they repeatedly invited applications. I understand that the rents charged by Lord de Ramsey to the men for the lands now 1513 taken by the council averaged £2 6s. 10d. per aero, Lord de Ramsey paying all rates and taxes The rents charged for the same lands to the council average £2 0s. 5d., but the council pay rates and taxes, which average 13s. 1d. per acre.