§ 81. Mr. NOEL BUXTONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, having regard to the fact that between 1919 and 1922 over 1,000,000 acres of land in England and Wales went out of arable cultivation and that in the same period the total area returned as permanent pasture or as rough grazing was increased by less than 500,000 acres, he will give approximate figures showing the purposes for which the balance of over 500,000 acres is now used?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI regret that I have no definite information as to the purposes for which the balance referred to is now used. It must be assumed that the bulk of this land has been withdrawn from agriculture for building and other purposes.
§ Mr. STEPHENWill the right hon. Baronet tell us some of the other purposes?
§ Sir R. SANDERSNo, I am not aware of the other purposes.
§ Mr. BUXTONDoes the right hon. Baronet think there can be any mistake in these figures on account of the very large acreage unaccounted for?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe figures puzzled me considerably, and I have been trying to find out what the explanation is, but I have not yet succeeded in doing so.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODTurn up Domesday Book.
§ Mr. TURNERIs it suggested that we are to get 500,000 acres used for building purposes? If so, at 12 per acre it means 6,000,000 houses.
§ Sir R. SANDERSHouses and factories are not always 12 per acre.