HC Deb 24 November 1908 vol 197 cc122-3
MR. MORRELL

I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he will obtain from the Oxfordshire County Council full particulars of all approved applications under the Small Holdings Act according to the parishes in which the applicants live, showing name, address, and occupation of applicant, date of application, amount of land applied for, date at which the application was approved, and subsequent proceedings; and also particulars of all rejected applications with the reasons for the rejection in each case.

MR. T. F. RICHARDS (Wolverhampton, W.)

At the same time may I ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he will obtain from the Staffordshire County Council particulars of all applications approved by them according to the parishes in which the applicants live, showing name, address, and occupation of applicant, date of application, amount of land applied for, date at which application was approved, and subsequent proceedings; and also particulars of all rejected applications, with the reasons for the rejection in each case.

SIR E. STRACHEY

The Board are not prepared to ask for the Returns suggested. They would involve a great deal of labour without any corresponding advantage. Every applicant is informed whether he is approved or not, and the Board are always ready to inquire into any specific complaints. Our experience affords no justification for the suggestion that applicants are, as a rule, rejected on inadequate grounds.

MR. BENNETT

Can the hon. Gentleman say how it is that some of the applicants in Oxfordshire whose applications have been either ignored or not approved have not been notified of the fact?

* MR. MACKAENESS

And is the hon. Gentleman aware that in Berkshire applications are refused without reasons being given to the applicants?

SIR E. STRACHEY

If that is so the applicants should complain to the county council.

MR. MORRELL

Is it not the duty of the Commissioners to ascertain the extent of the demand? Do they do that?

* SIR E. STRACHEY

They do it through the county council, and the Board do not interfere so long as they think the county council are acting in a proper manner.