§ MR. GINNELL (Westmeath, N.)To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he will state the average price per acre and also the average number of years purchase of the valuation or annual value paid for land purchased under the Small Holdings Act in each county in England and Wales in which land has been purchased under that Act; whether the prices are higher than those prevailing in the respective counties before the Act; whether he is aware that some county councils consider the prices asked exorbitant; and what remedy the Government contemplate for this difficulty.
(Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) The Act has not been long enough in 951 operation to afford any useful data for the comparison suggested. Where a county council considers that the price of rent asked for land is exorbitant it is open to the council to apply for compulsory powers, in which case the price or rent to be paid is fixed by arbitration.