§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the discrepancy between the assessed value of land compulsorily required for small holdings, and the value of the same land as assessed for county rates, he will issue an instruction to official valuers to include in their reports a statement of the rateable value, or approximate rateable value, of the land they have valued?
§ Mr. GULLAND (Lord of the Treasury)Where a whole holding is taken compulsorily I will ask the official valuer to state in his report the gross value.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the application for thirteen acres of land by the Bridlington Small Holdings Association in September, 1909; whether he is aware that the valuer appointed by the Board was the land agent of Lord Wen-lock, the chairman of the East Riding County Council, and that the rent awarded by the valuer was in excess of the rent previously offered by the owner of the land; and what steps the Board propose to take to ensure a better system of valuation in cases of this sort?
§ Mr. GULLANDThe facts are as stated. The Board have no reason to think that the valuer acted otherwise than in a fair and impartial manner.
§ Mr. MORRELLWill the Board see that that valuer is not appointed again? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the valuer gave a rent in excess of what was demanded by the landlord?
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEMay I ask if this valuer is the same man who has been elected to the county council by the suffrages of the people?