§ MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH (Fermanagh, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, how long does the Land Commission anticipate it would take it to deal with and complete the sales, to the value of some thirty-four millions of money, in respect of which agreements are already lodged, even if the funds to pay the purchase money were supplied to the Land Commission as rapidly as they could deal with the agreements; and what has been the average yearly amount of purchase money actually paid since the Act of 1903 came into force on 1st November, 1903.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Land Commissioners do not think it possible to anticipate the future in the manner proposed in the Question, depending as it does on contingencies which to a large extent they cannot control. The amounts hitherto advanced for all purposes of land purchase other than the Labourers Acts are as follow—
§ For the twelve months ending—
| 31st October, 1904 | £3,659,236 |
| 31st October, 1905 | £4,691,204 |
| 31st October, 1906 | £6,013,063 |
| 31st October,1907 | £5,376,069 |
| For the period 1st November, 1907 to 13th February, 1908 | £1,199,532 |
§ The average amount of the advances for the four completed years is £4,922 400.