§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he was aware that not one of the approved applicants for land in Westerham, Dunton Green, Edenbridge, Pembury, and Tonbridge had yet been provided with land under the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts; and whether he would consider the advisability of notifying the Kent County Council of the Board's intention to proceed under Section 3 of the Act?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The county council are prepared and are doing their best to obtain sufficient land to satisfy the demand, and this being the case the Board would not be justified at the present time in adopting the course suggested. I may add that land has been offered to several of the applicants, but it has been declined by them.
§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the hon. Member for South Somerset if his attention had been directed to the resolution passed by the Beddington Parish Council on 7th September, ordering the reduction of individual allotment holdings in that parish to one-fourth of an acre, and giving the present tenants notice to vacate 1404 all land in excess of that amount; whether the Board's inspector had assured the present occupants that they would not be disturbed till other land was found them; and would he take steps to secure that no ejection took place before such other land was provided?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYWe have not received a copy of the resolution, but we are informed by the chairman of the parish council that at present it is only proposed to reduce by 30 rods the area of a single allotment, the holder of which holds at present 107 rods. This cannot, however, be done until Michaelmas, 1910. In the meantime we will cause further inquiry to be made, and do what is practicable to secure the provision of the land required to satisfy the existing demand. The inspector did not give any such assurance as is suggested in the question.
§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the hon. Member for South Somerset if he could state what steps the Kent County Council had taken to provide land under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act for the members of the Welling Small Holdings Association, whose applications had been duly approved; and, if it were found that the county council was not proceeding with the matter, would the Board exercise its powers by having a scheme prepared and negotiations entered into for the acquisition of land?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYNo land has been at present obtained in the Welling district, and the county council state that they do not know of any land to which a Compulsory Order could suitably be applied, having regard to the restrictions imposed by Section 41 of the Small Holdings Act and also to the high rents which would have to be asked to recoup the council the heavy expenses and outgoings of any suitable land in the district which could be so acquired. We are sending an inspector to make full inquiry into the matter, and on receipt of his report I will communicate again with my hon. Friend.