§ 29. Mr. KINGasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether any estimate has been made of the deer kept in deer parks which might be available for cattle or sheep; and 619 whether any action is contemplated to utilise grass lands now fed off by deer in a more advantageous manner?
§ Mr. ACLANDNo estimate of the kind has been made, nor is there any official information on the subject. In June, 1915, Lord Selborne wrote specially to the Lords-Lieutenant of the counties of England and Wales asking them to use their influence with landowners to induce them to offer the grazing of their parks to farmers, and in January, 1916, the Board brought the recommendation of Lord Milner's Committee that parks and moorlands should be grazed to their maximum capacity by stock and sheep, to the special notice of the County War Agricultural Committees. They believe that the majority of the owners of parks in the country have complied with these requests and would be glad to hear of any instances that there may be to the contrary.