§ Mr. ERNEST JARDINEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he will grant a Return of allotments and small holdings in Great Britain, in continuation of Return Cd. 6144, issued in 1890, so that it may be seen what is the number of allotments in Great Britain, and not merely, as now, the number which are held or obtained by local authorities?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir E. Strachey)I understand that the Return to which the hon. Member refers entailed an expenditure of some £3,000. It is doubtful if the value of a new Return would be considered to justify such an expenditure, but I will require.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked if the Government proposed to make any fresh arrangements to facilitate and improve the working of the Small Holdings Act?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe President of the Board proposes, with the concurrence of the Treasury, to increase the number of Small Holdings Commissioners from two to eight, so as to enable him to take active steps to assist and press the County Councils to satisfy the outstanding demand for small holdings, and to put in force the provisions of the law in cases of default, where necessary. The Commissioners will possess the full statutory powers conferred upon them by the Act of 1908. A group of counties will be assigned to each of them, and they will be stationed in such towns or places as the President may from time to time select. Their appointments will be of a permanent character. In certain districts inspectors will be stationed to assist the Commissioners in the discharge of their duties. The President has also submitted to the Treasury certain proposals to enable him to press forward the organisation of agricultural co-operative societies and especially credit and insurance societies for the purpose of meeting the requirements of small holders. He hopes to be in a position to make an announcement with regard to these proposals in the course of a few days.
Mr. PEELWill the hon. Gentleman state if these new officers are to be appointed as a result of examination or by patronage?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI have nothing to add to the statement I have already made.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman must give notice.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYWill the hon. Baronet state whether the salaries of these new Commissioners have been voted by this House or will they come before the House?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYOf course, the salaries will come at the proper time before this House. I have stated already that Treasury sanction has been obtained.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODHave the centres of the districts been fixed? If not, will, the hon. Baronet see that as soon as they are 1581 public notification is given of the address of the Commissioners so that intending applicants may get at them as quickly as possible?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYAs I have said the Commissioner will be stationed in such towns or places as the President may think fit.
Sir GILBERT PARKERWill the Commissioners have power to take into consideration the heavy cost of administration on the small holders under the Act?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThey will have the same powers as the two Commissioners have at the present moment.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSAre we to understand that these new Commissioners are to be in the same independent position as the present two Commissioners.
§ Sir E. STRACHEYYes, they will be in exactly the same position: they are appointed under the same section of the Act.
§ Several other hon. Members rose.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would call attention to the fact that there are many more questions on the Paper.
§ Mr. MORRELLShall we be permitted to raise this question on the Civil Service Estimates?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI shall not then be in the Chair.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will state what was the total amount of agricultural land belonging to the Duchy; and what portion was let in holdings of fifty acres or less in the years 1904, 1907, and 1910, respectively, with the percentage in each case?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the DUCHY of LANCASTER (Mr. Joseph Pease)The total amount of agricultural land belonging to His Majesty, in right of his Duchy of Lancaster, in the years 1904, 1907, and 1910, and the portion let in holdings of fifty acres or less in those years, with the percentages which the latter bore to the former is approximately as follows:—
| Year. | Total acreage. | Acreage let in holdings of 50 acres or less. | Percentage. | |||
| 1904 | … | 26,433 | … | 2,117 | … | 8 |
| 1907 | … | 21,518 | … | 2,150 | … | 10 |
| 1910 | … | 21,696 | … | 2,700 | … | 12.44 |
§ A considerable number of gardens attached to cottage lettings are not included in this return.
§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked whether the Government will demonstrate their sympathy with the small holdings movement by converting all farms falling vacant within the Duchy of Lancaster into such holdings or by offering them to the councils of the counties in which they are situate, to enable them to satisfy some of their unprovided applicants?
§ Mr. JOSEPH PEASEI cannot promise to convert all farms falling vacant, which are the property of His Majesty, in right of his Duchy of Lancaster, into small holdings, or in every case to offer such farms to the county councils of the counties in which they are situate; but, as a matter of fact, pursuant to the established practice of the Duchy to encourage small holdings, all farms which have become vacant in recent years, and which are suitable for small holdings, have either been let direct to small holders or have been offered to county councils, and my intention is to continue this policy.
Captain FABERWould the right hon. Gentleman say how many farms in the Duchy have been let in that manner?
§ Mr. JOSEPH PEASEAll I can speak of is what has been done during my own tenure of office. Last year I was able to offer a large farm of 324 acres and another of 256 acres.
§ Mr. JOSEPH PEASEI think not,
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTDo I understand that the right hon. Gentleman works through the county councils wherever possible?
§ Mr. JOSEPH PEASEI have made it a point to communicate with the county council whenever I have had a farm vacant which was suitable for small holdings.
§ Mr. MORRELLMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will in future offer to one of the new Small Holdings Commissioners rather than to the county councils?
§ Mr. JOSEPH PEASEWe keep in touch with the Board of Agriculture.