§ 23. Mr. PALING forasked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state the reason why the application of the Lancashire County Council for an order to acquire land for the purposes of small holdings at Winmarleigh, in connection with the Land Settlement Act for ex-Service men, was not confirmed by the Ministry?
Mr. GUINNESSMy predecessor, the late Minister of Agriculture, declined to confirm the Compulsory Order made by the Lancashire County Council in respect of the land referred to by the hon. Member, after considering all the circumstances of the case as ascertained at a local public inquiry. I do not consider that it would be in the public interest for me to make any statement respecting the grounds on which the decision referred to was based.
28. Mr. PALING furtherasked how many persons have been settled on small holdings since October, 1324, in England, Scotland, and Wales; and what increase in acreage, if any, used for the proportion of food these smallholders represent?
Mr. GUINNESSThe latest information with regard to holdings provided under the Land Settlement Scheme in England and Wales is compiled from returns made to the Ministry last July. These show that, during the previous twelve months, 1,299 men were provided with holdings. There was, however, practically no extension of the acreage during that period, the additional men being in most cases settled on existing holdings provided under the Scheme that for one cause or another became vacant. With regard to Scotland since 1st July, 40 1924, to the present date, 213 new holdings have been created, 177 holdings enlarged, and 79 men settled on holdings which have been vacated by their previous tenants. The Board of Agriculture for Scotland have no statistics to show the precise increase in acreage used for food production represented by these figures.