§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTI desire to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer a question, of which I have given him private notice, namely, whether he proposes to further defer the appointment of the Development Commissioners pending the passage through all its stages in both Houses of the Bill about to be introduced to amend the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEI am afraid it would be quite impossible to announce the appointments until the Bill goes through. It is a Bill to increase the number from five to ten, and I think it undesirable to announce the first five without announcing the whole of the ten—that is, assuming the House assents to it. I do not think it will be a contentious Bill at all from what I gather.
§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the agricultural community have been anxiously awaiting an announcement from him as to the appointment of the Commissioners?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEI see no reason why the Bill should not go through in the course of this week. I should not think there will be any difficulty.
§ Sir WALTER MENZIESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet decided upon a number of Commissioners to be appointed for Scotland under last year's Development Act; whether one of them will be specially appointed to encourage afforestation and another to specially further agricultural development under modern and improved systems; and have any yet been appointed; and, if so, who are they and what were their qualifications?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEThe Development Commission has not yet been constituted, though I hope to be able shortly to make the appointments. I am bearing 1712 in mind the desirability of including among the Commissioners gentlemen with an expert knowledge of agriculture and afforestation.
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEI hope the Commissioners when appointed will consider that the Commission is over the whole of the United Kingdom, and not one part of it.