§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can give particulars of each of the schemes sanctioned by the Development Commissioners up to date?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe advance of £25,000 recommended by the Development Commissioners for purposes of forestry in Ireland is to be spent on purchasing several areas of vacant land in various parts of the country, on each of which a scheme of afforestation is to be carried out. The horse-breeding grant for Great Britain, amounting to about £45,000, provides, among other things, for the expenditure of £13,000 for the granting of premiums to stallions, of £10,000 for the encouragement of the keeping of brood mares, of £3,000 for free nominations for the service of mares by premium stallions, of £5,000 for the purchase of stallions, and of £5,000 for the registration of stallions. These figures are not absolutely fixed, because it was thought that experience might point to the desirability of some transfers between the different heads of expenditure. Of the grant of £10,000 sanctioned for horse-breeding in Ireland, two-fifths are for the registration and purchase of stallions, two-fifths for service nominations to mares, and one-fifth for the encouragement of the keeping and breeding of better mares of the Irish draught type. The grants for horse-breeding are designed to cover one year's operations, and are open to renewal year by year. The advance of £13,500 to the Stonehaven Harbour Trustees is to provide for the deepening of the harbour, by the removal of rocks, which seriously impair its value. A grant of some £9,000 has just been sanctioned by the Treasury, on the recommendation of the Commissioners, for agricultural research and investigation in England and Wales. This grant is an interim one for the present financial year, pending the settlement of a comprehensive scheme which, I understand, is now being discussed.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked whether an application from the Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries Joint Committee was forwarded to the Board by the Treasury in July, 1910, under the provisions of the Development Act, for consideration and report; whether the Board have yet made their report; and, if so, what was the date on which it was forwarded by the Board to the Development Commission?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The recommendation to be made by the Board with regard to it depends upon the arrangements made for the development and improvement of our fisheries generally, a question which is still under the Board's consideration.
§ Mr. MORRELLAm I to understand that the Board have had this application before them for nine months, and have not yet made a report upon it?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYAs I have already told the hon. Gentleman, we cannot make piecemeal reports; we must deal with the whole fisheries question.
§ Mr. MORRELLIs my right hon. Friend aware that the Development Commissioners are arranging to distribute this money without waiting for the Board of Agriculture?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI do not think (hat is at all likely.