§ 66. Mr. SANDERSasked the President of the Board of Agriculture in what counties it is the practice of the county council to redeem Land Tax on land bought for the purpose of small holdings; and in how many counties the council decline to do so?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIt is the usual practice in all counties for the councils to redeem any Land Tax charged on land purchased for small holdings on the ground that the establishment of small holdings is likely to increase the assessment. 1295 The Somerset County Council have recently represented to the Board that redemption is unnecessary in cases where no expenditure will be made on equipment, and the Board, though they are of opinion that as a general rule redemption is desirable, are prepared to deal with each case on its merits.
§ Mr. SANDERSIs that the practice in other counties or not?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir; it is almost the universal practice with very few exceptions.
§ 67 and 68. Mr. T. E. HARVEYasked the President of the Board of Agriculture (1) whether his attention has been called to the fact that at the end of last year, in the counties of Hereford and Salop, the number of allotment holders, tenants of the local authorities, was 137 and 126, respectively, as compared with 1,014 in Worcestershire and 1,568 and ten associations in Warwickshire; whether he will inquire as to what information, if any, the Small Holdings Commissioner for the district has received as to the existence of a demand for allotments in the two former counties which has been communicated by him to the local councils concerned; and (2) whether he will inquire from the allotment authorities in Herefordshire and Shropshire if they have taken steps to ascertain whether there is a demand for allotments in their respective districts which cannot be obtained by voluntary agreement; and whether the councils for the two counties have taken steps to ascertain the extent to which there is a demand for allotments in the several urban districts (other than boroughs) and rural parishes in the county, or would be a demand if suitable land were available; the extent to which it is reasonably practicable to satisfy any such demand; and as to what was the result of the inquiries, if made?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe number of allotments held under the local authorities in the counties named is correctly stated, except that the figure for Salop should be 123. Returns are obtained annually by the Board from all allotment authorities, and from the returns for 1913 it appears that at the end of that year there were six unsatisfied applicants in Herefordshire and two in Salop. When the Act of 1908 came into operation the two county councils made inquiry, but the result 1296 showed that the unsatisfied demand was very small, and no further action on their part seemed necessary. In some cases the county councils have assisted the parish councils to obtain land for allotments.