63. Mr. DUNDAS WHITEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the fact that the tenure of small landholders under the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts may be placed in jeopardy if the proprietor sells the estate in small lots so as to enable the individual purchasers to apply to the Land Court to authorise the resumption of the land for their own personal occupation under Section 19 of the Act of 1911; whether his attention has been directed to the statement in the last Report of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland that the holders of eleven full-sized holdings created by the Board in 1914 on the Middlebank estate, in Perthshire, though they would have preferred to continue as tenants under the 501 small landholders' tenure, have purchased their holdings rather than risk the possibility of losing them in this way; and, as it was not intended when the Act was passed to enable the proprietor, by selling the estate in small lots, thus to prejudice the interests of the small landholders thereon, whether he will introduce legislation to prevent small landholders being thus adversely affected by the sale of the proprietor's estate?
§ Mr. MUNROMy attention has been called to the matters to which my hon. and learned Friend refers. I am considering the legal position, in consultation with my advisers. I cannot at the moment make any statement regarding legislation.
Mr. WHITEWill my right hon. Friend be able to make any statement before the House rises for the Recess?