§ MR. FFRENCH (Wexford,S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state what is the result of the proceedings under the Land Purchase Acts of 1885 and 1888; how much land has been sold, or agreed to be sold, under these Acts, and how much money has been actually advanced; what is the general result of proceedings under the Land Purchase Acts of 1881 and 1896; what is the amount actually issued under these Acts, or agreed to be issued under the Acts; what is the general result of the proceedings under the Land Purchase Act of 1903; what sum has actually been issued or advanced; what is the total amount of agreements lodged under all headings for the purchase of land under this Act; how much money have the Land Commission actually in hand at present; what is the total value of the estates still to be dealt with by the 219 Land Commission in respect of which advances have not been issued or sanctioned; and how much sinking fund has been actually paid up under all the Land Purchase Acts, and what has been done with it.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) Full particulars respecting proceedings under the Land Purchase Acts of 1885, 1888, 1891, and 1896, have appeared from time to time in Parliamentary Returns and in the annual Reports of the Irish Land Commission and the Appendices thereto. I would refer the hon. Member in particular to pages 92 and 107 and page 116 of the Report of the Irish Land Commission for the year ending 31st March, 1907 (Cd. 3652, Session 1907) and to House of Commons Return, No. 90, of Session 1903. As regards proceedings under the Irish Land Act of 1903, the Land Commission inform me that up to the 20th instant applications for advances had been received by, or proceedings instituted before, the Estates Commissioners for the purchase of estates to the estimated amount of £63,598,394. Of this sum £21,940,988 had been advanced, leaving £41,657,406, representing the estimated amount of advances in respect of which proceedings are still pending before the Commissioners. The Irish Land Purchase Fund, from which all moneys are issued for the purposes of advances under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and to which all moneys received from land purchase annuitants are paid, is under the control of the National Debt Commissioners, who provide the money for advances when required by the Estates Commissioners.