§ MR. D. A. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)To ask the President of the Local Government Board, in view of the fact that the intention of the Small Holdings Act of last Session was that interest on the purchase money and a yearly sum as a sinking fund sufficient to recoup the whole cost of the land should be included in the rent charged by the county council to the small-holder, without the latter acquiring any interest in the fee simple of the property, if it would be competent for the county council to exclude such charges and defray them itself, if it so desires, without its members becoming liable to be surcharged by the auditor.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) It will rest with the auditor to determine in the first instance what course he will take if a case of the kind referred to comes before him. Any action taken by him in the matter would be subject to appeal to the Local Government Board. Of course I cannot say beforehand what the decision of the Board upon any such an appeal would be, but in dealing with it they would take into consideration all the circumstances of the case.