§ Captain WARINGasked the President of the Board of Agriculture, can he state, or will he agree to a Return showing, since 1909, the number of claims for damage done by winged game in the settlement of which resort has been had to arbitration; and whether he will consider the possibility of so amending Clause 9 of the Agricultural Holdings Act that damage to farmers' crops may be more promptly ascertained, and the expenses of arbitration invariably included in the award?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe appointment of arbitrators for the purposes of the Agricultural Holdings Act of 1908 is not brought in any way to the knowledge of the Board, except in a very few cases, and they have therefore no means of obtaining the information asked for in the first part of the question. The Board do not appear to have received any complaints of undue delay in the settlement of claims of this character, or of any failure of an arbitrator to include a direction as to costs in his award in the manner contemplated in the form prescribed by the Board, but I shall be glad to inquire into any specific cases which may have been brought to the notice of my hon. Friend.