HC Deb 02 December 1919 vol 122 cc368-9

In addition to the stuns not exceeding one hundred and eighty-five thousand pounds specified in Section five of the Act of 1911 there shall be placed at the disposal of the Board for the purposes specified in Section six of the said Act, during each of the ten years commencing the first day of April in the year nineteen hundred and twenty, a sum not exceeding fifteen thousand pound's, annually voted by Parliament, for the said purposes; and any sums so voted shall be paid into and administered as part of the Agriculture (Scotland) Fund constituted under Section five of the said Act."— [Mr. Munro.]

Brought up, and read the first time.

Mr. MUNRO

I beg to move, "That the Clause be read a second time." The reason why the Bill has had to be recommitted is because the money which has been secured for the benefit of crofters was secured after tie original Financial Resolution had been passed and accordingly a new Financial Resolution became necessary. Inasmuch as this Clause provides a comparatively large sum of money for expenditure in Scotland I apprehend no very strong objection will be taken.

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause accordingly read a second time and added to the Bill.

Bill reported; as amended on recommittal, considered.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read the third time."

Mr. HOGGE

I wish to express satisfaction that on Report we have been able to discuss as Scottish Members a great number of improvements to the Bill that we were not allowed to discuss in Grand Committee. It has been a source of great satisfaction to Scottish Members generally that we have had that opportunity on the floor of the House of which we were deprived upstairs, and it bears out the attitude taken up by many of us upstairs by many of us refusing to continue the discussion upstairs if we were deprived of those opportunities. I believe the Bill is an improvement on anything we have got, and while there are things we can criticise I hope now my right hon. Friend will deal expeditiously with the administration of it. We have been waiting a very long time and the position is not satisfactory at the moment with regard to the number of men who are on the land, and I very much hope great vim and vigour will be put into the administration so that the fruits of our efforts here which have been delayed through causes over which the right hon. Gentleman has no control, may actually come into force.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the third time, and passed.