§ 99. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will urge all urban authorities to take steps to ensure that all waste lands are utilised, as allotments or otherwise, for the growing of potatoes and other suitable foods?
§ Mr. ACLANDThe Board have widely advocated the use of any vacant or waste land about towns for the growing of garden crops, and have specially addressed local authorities on the subject. The Board would be very glad to hear of any cases in which urban authorities are willing to secure the use of vacant land* for food production, but are at present unable to do so owing to statutory limitation of their powers, so that the question of a temporary extension of such powers may be considered.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERArising out of that reply, might I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the Board will take compulsory powers to make urban authorities take these steps?
§ Mr. ACLANDI do not think we can force municipal authorities to do things which they do not want to do.
§ Commander WEDGWOODMay I inquire whether the Board has power to allow men who want to use land to get 1571 these vacant plots of land for cultivation, with security of tenure for six months after the War is over?
§ Mr. ACLANDWe have succeeded, without taking special powers, in very largely getting land granted by owners for this purpose on very reasonable terms. I shall be very glad to hear of any case, or cases, where persons have failed to get land, without the necessity of using any legislative powers.
§ Commander WEDGWOODWould it not be possible to set up machinery so that everybody should know that they can get this land rent free?
§ Mr. ACLANDLand legislation is not so simple as all that in this House.
§ Commander WEDGWOODWill the Board of Agriculture, for a change, consider that point of land legislation?