§ MR. MONTAGUI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether the Commissioners appointed under the Small Holdings Act of 1907 have visited every county council area to which the Act applies; whether there is any area in which no action is being taken by the county council to ascertain the demand for small holdings; whether, although the Act provides that the Commissioners should ascertain such demand, in fact the county councils are doing this, from what source if the Commissioners acted as the Act provides would the expenses of such inquiry be defrayed; and from what source are the expenses of such inquiries now, in fact, being defrayed.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe Commissioners, or an inspector acting under their instructions, have visited every administrative county except the Scilly Isles, and every county council is taking steps to ascertain the demand. The Act provides that councils shall furnish the Commissioners with such information as they may reasonably require, and this is what the councils have been doing. The expenses of their preliminary inquiries are defrayed out of the county rate. Similar expenses incurred by the Commissioners are paid out of money provided by Parliament.
§ MR. MORRELL (Oxfordshire, Henley)Is there anything to prevent the county councils putting the expenses of these inquiries on the rents of the small holdings?
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYCertainly.
§ MR. JESSE COLLINGS (Birmingham, Bordesley)Is there any power under the Act allowing county councils to charge these expenses out of the rates?
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThese preliminary expenses can be charged out of the rates.