8. Mr. FREDERICK HALL (Dulwich)asked if the President of the Board of Agriculture will state what is the extent of the land at present used for deer forests in Scotland which has been reported by the Highlands and Islands Commission to be fit for arable purposes; and what is the total number of persons employed on land at present used for deer forests?
The SECRETARY for SCOTLAND (Mr. MacKinnon Wood)My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. In answer to the first part of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the Report, dated 1895, of the Royal Commission (Highlands and Islands, 1892) and the series of statistics shewing the acreage of deer forests in 1883, 1898, 1904, and 1908, which will be found summarised in the Deer Forests Return, No. 220 of 1908, together with the later information contained in the Deer Forests and Sporting Lands (Scotland) Return, No. 538 of 1913. I have no information as to the total number of persons employed on deer forests.
Mr F. HALLIn view of the important statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer lately, may I ask whether it is not advisable that we should have later information than 1905?
Mr. F. HALLIn reply to the first part of my question, may I ask whether he has any information later than 1905?