§ 35. Mr. DUNCAN MILLARasked whether the right hon. Gentleman can arrange for the Commissioner, or one of the Sub-commissioners, for small holdings to make a further visit to Harthill district, Lanarkshire, with a view to securing land for the purpose of providing small holdings, and to considering further the applications which have been already received?
§ Sir GEORGE YOUNGERWill the right hon. Gentleman take care to see that pressure by private Members of Parliament in favour of priority for their own districts is not taken notice of?
Mr. McKINNON WOODSuch pressure is, of course, to be deprecated, and I quite agree with the hon. Baronet on that point. We must, however, have consideration for the class of applicant, and our preference must be given to those who are agriculturists. It would not be right to give agricultural small holdings to persons who have no knowledge of agriculture.
§ Mr. MILLARDoes the right hon. Gentleman regard it as pressure to ask that consideration should be given to applications lodged in May last?
Mr. McKINNON WOODYes. The Commissioner has been in the district, but he has not been able to find suitable land. Many of these applicants are not agriculturists, but people who wish to get land upon which to erect houses.
§ Mr. MILLARIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that certain applications were made in perfectly good faith for land for agricultural purposes?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI do not deny that for a moment, but there was not suitable land available. We cannot meet every case by giving it priority, because that is absolutely impossible.