HC Deb 19 July 1909 vol 8 cc10-1
Mr. WEIR

asked the Lord Advocate if he would state how many of the applicants for new holdings on Vatersay, Inverness-shire, had been rejected by the Congested Districts Board owing to inability to equip, stock, and cultivate a holding as required under the Government proposals set forth in the Small Landholders (Scotland) Bill and elsewhere?

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Mr. Arthur Dewar)

Where, as in the present case, there are more applicants than holdings, all that can be said in reply to my hon. Friend is that the claims and qualifications of the rejected applicants were considered inferior to those of the applicants to whom holdings were allotted. The Congested Districts Board selected the 58 most suitable tenants, taking into account character, experience, energy, and ability to equip, stock, and cultivate a holding.

Mr. WEIR

How many have been rejected for that reason?

Mr. DEWAR

None have been rejected for that reason only. Everything was taken into account. Some have been rejected, but that was because the qualifications as a whole were inferior.