§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the scheme of the Surrey County Council to acquire forty-one acres of land at Ham for small holdings; whether the scheme has now been with- drawn by the county council, at the request of the applicants, owing to the prohibitory value and tenant-right compensation assessed by the valuer appointed by the Board; and whether he will state the award of the valuer and the value of the land as assessed for the county rate?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir E. Strachey)Yes, Sir, the rent fixed by the valuer at £108 6s. a year for thirty-five years, and compensation to tenant at £194 9s. 6d. This forty-one acres was not separately assessed.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODWill the hon. Baronet reply to the last part of the question, as to the value at which the land was assessed for county rate?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe valuer forms his ideas of the value of the land. As to what it might be assessed at he has no means of knowing.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODWould not he know the value of the entire farm?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe value of the farm.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODWill the valuer be required in future to give the assessable value of the entire farm, with the acreage, and the acreage of the part cut off, so as to enable a judgment to be formed as to the price?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe assessable value is the amount that the overseers have put on the farm. Of course, they have not put any value on each acre of the farm. The valuer only values what he has to value for county council.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that in many rural districts applicants are unwilling to apply to the county councils for land for small holdings for fear of losing their employment; and whether he will have the name and address of the commissioners when appointed advertised in each area, so that applicants may, if they wish, apply direct to a commissioner instead of to the county council?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe names and addresses of the commissioners, when appointed, will be publicly announced.
§ Mr. MORRELLAre we to understand that the commissioners will in all cases receive applications from intending applicants direct?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYYes, Sir, where applicants so desire.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Prime Minister whether he can give the names of those who are to be appointed as additional commissioners under the Small Holdings Act and the areas to be allotted to them?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe names and areas are as follows:—
§ A. Allsebrook.—Area Counties: Northumberland, Cumberland, Durham, Westmorland, Lancashire, and Yorkshire.
§ J. H. Diggle.—Area Counties: Lincolnshire and Isle of Ely.
§ E. O. Fordham.—Area Counties: Chester, Derbyshire, Notts, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northampton, Warwick, Stafford, Soke of Peterborough, Salop, Worcester, and Hereford.
§ Sydney Mager.—Area Counties: Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. 1647 John Owen.—Area: Wales and Monmouth.
§ F. E. N. Rogers.—Area Counties: Wilts, Gloucester, Oxford, Berks, Hants, Isle of Wight.
§ M. T. Baines.—Area: Bucks, Bedford, Herts, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex, Kent.
§ E. J. Cheney.—Area: Norfolk, Hunts, Cambs, Suffolk.
§ Mr. MORRELLWill each commissioner be required to reside in his area, and will his address be generally advertised so that applicants will have an opportunity of making their application direct to the commissioners rather than to the county council?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI understand the commissioners will reside in their areas and, of course, their addresses will be published.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTWill Mr. F. E. N. Rogers continue to be a member of the Local Taxation Committee, having accepted this position?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThat question should be put to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
§ Mr. MacNEILLAs these areas are so extensive, will these gentlemen be pro- vided with aeroplanes?
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he would state what are the qualifications necessary for the appointment of small holdings commissioners; whether any previous knowledge of the subject was necessary; and what are the duties of a commissioner?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe Small Holdings Act requires that the commissioners shall be persons possessed of a knowledge of agriculture, and their duties are set out in the Act.
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEMay I ask whether all the commissioners already appointed and those proposed to be appointed have a knowledge of agriculture?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe President of the Board has appointed them under the Act.
Mr. LLEWELYN WILLIAMSasked whether it is proposed that any, and, if so, how many, of the inspectors who will be appointed to administer the Small 1648 Holdings Bill should be conversant with Welsh; and how it is suggested to test the knowledge of Welsh possessed by each applicant?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYYes; but the numbers cannot be stated at present.
§ Sir E. STRACHEYAs far as possible we get inspectors and sub-inspectors who have a knowledge of Welsh.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTDoes the new commissioner for Wales speak Welsh?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYCertainly.