§ 80. Mr. LINFIELDasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of ex-service men who have been, and still are, in the occupation of holdings under the Land Settlement (Facilities) Act, 1919, on the Ministry colonies and under county councils, respectively?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Noel Buxton)16,625 ex-service men are still in occupation of holdings provided by county councils and councils of county boroughs, and 345 are at present in occupation of holdings on the Ministry's farm settlements established under the Small Holding Colonies Acts and the Sailors' and Soldiers' (Gifts for Land Settlement) Act. In addition, 101 ex-service men are working as wage earners on the Ministry's profit-sharing farms.
§ 81. Mr. LINFIELDasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of commissioners, sub-commissioners, and head-quarter's staff who are now engaged on the administration of the Land Settlement (Facilities) Act, 1919, and the cost of the same, for the year 1923?
§ Mr. BUXTONWith the exception of approximately 15 clerks, none of the officers of the Ministry, indoor or outdoor, are engaged exclusively upon work arising in connection with the settlement of ex-service men on the land, and it is not possible, therefore, to state the expenditure of the Ministry in administering the land settlement scheme. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service Estimates for 1923–24, from which it will be seen that the salaries and travelling expenses of officers of the Land Settlement Division were estimated to amount to £45,390 and £10,100 respectively 972 during the year, to which must be added the salaries and travelling expenses of similar officers of the Welsh Department, approximately £3,500, and an allowance estimated at £10,000 for the services of officers in other parts of the Ministry (e.g., Legal Branch, Finance Division, etc.), making a total of approximately £70,000.