§ Mr. MAURICE HEALYasked the Chief Secretary whether purchase agreements lodged between 15th September, 1909, and the date of the passing of the recent Land Act have all been rejected by the Estates Commissioners; whether these agreements were valid when lodged and in the only form in which, at that date, they could have been received by the Land Commission; whether interest had been collected by the Land Commission from the tenants under these agreements, thus leading the tenants to believe that they would be acted on; whether, before rejecting these agreements, any steps were taken by the Estates Commissioners to bring about a fresh ararngement between the parties which would enable the purchase to proceed; and whether, in view of the hardship involved in the enactment operating retrospectively to nullify agreements which, when entered into and lodged, were quite legal, he can hold out any hope of amending the law so as to permit these agreements to be financed on the old terms?
§ Mr. BIRRELLPurchase agreements under the Act of 1903 lodged subsequently to 15th September last (the date mentioned in Section 13 (a) of the Act of 1909) are not "pending purchase agreements," and cannot therefore be financed under the Act of 1903; they have accordingly been returned to be amended in accordance with the new Act, or to be replaced by new agreements. Interest in lieu of rent, payable on 1st November, was collected by the Land Commission in a number of the cases. That interest, 1628 which was necessarily less than the rent, must, of course, be allowed for when rent is collected. The agreements in question were for sale direct from the owners to the tenants, and the Commissioners have nothing to say to the arrangements as to the terms come to between the parties. The answer to the concluding portion of the question is in the negative.