§ Dr. HILLIERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the Board has, since the passing of the Smallholders Act in 1908, purchased or attempted to purchase land for small holders; and in what cases have they thought it desirable to stipulate that the rents of such land should be raised by the owners previous to the sale to the Board?
§ Dr. HILLIERIs the hon. Baronet aware that the President of the Board of Agriculture did stipulate, in negotiating for the purchase of the Thorney estate, that the rents should be raised by the owner before the purchase was effected?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYAny question with regard to the Thorney estate must be addressed to the Secretary to the Treasury, who represents Lord Carrington as Commissioner for Woods and Forests.
§ Mr. HUNTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Pope, of Monkhall, South Shropshire, has lived on his farm for forty-seven years, and though turned out of his holding by the county council for no fault of his own, as a consequence of the Small Holdings Act, can get no compensation for disturbance, he can see his way to compel the Shropshire County Council to provide Mr. Pope with another small farm?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe Board has no power to compel the County Council to 1998 provide Mr. Pope with a similar farm, but he will be entitled to compensation under the Act of last year.
§ Mr. HUNTIs the hon. Baronet aware that there is no Section in the Act which gives compensation because a farm is sold, and, as the Board of Agriculture compels county councils to provide farms, why cannot they do it in the case of a man who is turned out?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThere is power to give compensation to men who leave their farms in consequence of their having been acquired for the purpose of small holdings.
Captain GUESTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, whether, in view of the fact that there has been a miscarriage on the part of the Dorset Council in the case of the Winterborne Zelston small holdings farm, he proposes to make an investigation into the whole question?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYOne of the Small Holdings Commissioners will visit this farm on the 26th instant and go into the whole question.
§ Sir RANDOLF BAKERDoes the hon. Baronet now think, on examining the figures, there has been a miscarriage in this matter, or does he consider the whole facts of the case point to it being due to an alteration of the term of loans by the Local Government Board and the period over which the loans were payable?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI will not express an opinion on that till after the Commission has reported.