§ MR. HICKS BEACHTo ask the Secretary of State for War whether Fyfield Farm, in the parish of Enford, Wilts, fell vacant last Michaelmas; whether the farm is now let to a tenant who already farms about 4,000 acres of land in the district; whether there were several applications for small holdings from the neighbourhood when the farm fell vacant: and why steps were not taken to sub-divide, at any rate, part of the farm into small holdings.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) This farm fell vacant last Michaelmas. It is now let to a tenant who farms a very considerable amount of land from the War Department. There were several applications for small holdings from the neighbourhood when the farm fell vacant. The whole question of making the arable part of the farm, about 62 acres, available for small holdings was fully considered, and it was finally decided that it was impossible to let the land for small holdings without interfering with the training facilities of the troops, and it has been found necessary to take a covenant from the present tenant to lay down the arable land in glass within the next two years.