HC Deb 28 February 1912 vol 34 cc1352-4
Mr. NEWMAN

asked how many copies of Form IV. have been served to date in Ireland; how many have been returned with the necessary information, as asked for, given; and whether such forms have been served on the owners of purely agricultural heriditaments equally with those of an urban or semi-urban character?

Mr. MASTERMAN

About 150,000 copies of Form IV. have been issued; of these approximately 52,000 have been returned filled or partially filled up to the present time. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKE

Has he received the forms from Dundalk yet?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member cannot remember the names of one hundred and fifty thousand persons.

Mr. LANE-FOX

What has happened to the other hundred thousand forms which have not been returned, and have any steps been taken with regard to them?

Mr. MASTERMAN

I must have notice of that question.

Mr. NEWMAN

asked how many provisional valuations of Irish hereditaments have been served on their owners as a result of any information derived from copies of Form IV. recently issued, and in how many cases have such provisional valuations been accepted by the said owners?

Mr. MASTERMAN

About 5,000 provisional valuations have been issued, and about 80 per cent. of these have been accepted.

Mr. NEWMAN

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state the information possessed by the Land Valuation Department of Ireland which will enable them to, without any preliminary inquiry, serve on the owners of agricultural hereditaments which are not judicial tenancies and hereditaments on which a judicial rent has been fixed provisional valuations, stating the assessable site value of said hereditaments in accordance with the terms of the Finance Act?

Mr. MASTERMAN

I will refer the hon. Member to the numerous statements that have already been made to the House on this subject, and in particular to the Debate on the 30th June, 1910, and to my right hon. Friend's answer to the hon. Member for York on the 24th November, 1910.

Mr. NEWMAN

To make a long story short, is it a fact that on agricultural land in Ireland, a provisional valuation can be served on the owner without any inspection or without the serving of Form IV.?

Mr. MASTERMAN

I think all that was fully explained by my right hon. Friend, if the hon. Member will refer to it.