HC Deb 21 January 1913 vol 47 cc213-4
55. Lord NINIAN CRICHTON-STUART

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he will give the reason for his refusal to grant the Return under the Small Land Holders Act asked for on the 13th instant?—Lord NISIAN CRICHTOX-STUAKT—Small Holdings (England and Wales)—Return showing, for each county in England and Wales, particulars of the land acquired under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908, and let in Small Holdings on the 29th day of September, 1912, in the following form:—

Name of county. Acreage purchased by agreement. Acreage purchased compulsorily. Purchase price. Price per acre. Acreage hired, by agreement. Acreage hired compulsorily. Total rent payable by council. Rent per acre. Amount spent on adaptation. Total rent payable by councils' tenants. Rent per acre payable by councils' tenants Rent per acre paid by previous tenant before land was acquired by county council. No. of holdings into which land has been divided. No. of tenants who have given up their holdings. Amount of rents in arrcav on latest available date (date to be given). No. of tenants in arrear on latest available date (date to besamcas above.)
The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)

I am obliged to the Noble Lord for giving me this opportunity to remove a misconception which has been caused by my refusal to grant the Return to which he refers. I am not only willing to grant a Return giving all possible information with regard to the progress made under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908, but, as I have already informed the Noble Lord, I think that such a Return would be a most useful document. My refusal to grant the Return on the 13th January was due to the fact that the particulars asked for in column 13 of the form appended to the Notice of Motion are in some cases unobtainable, and, even if they were obtained, would obviously be misleading.

Lord N. CRICHTON-STUART

Cannot the right hon. Gentleman give a Return

with at least some of the information asked for in column 13, if not all?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

As I have already said, I cannot grant the Return for the reason that some of the information is unobtainable, and such as is obtainable would be misleading. If column 13 is omitted, I can grant the Return at once.

Lord N. CRICHTON-STUART

I will raise this question on the Motion for Adjournment to-night.