§ 36. Brigadier-General BROOKEasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of small holders during each year since 1910; and the number of unsatisfied applications for smallholdings which are now before the various county councils?
Mr. GUINNESSAs the reply to this question contains a, number of figures, I will, with my hon. and gallant Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The number of agricultural holdings above one acre and not exceeding 50 acres in England and Vales, as recorded in the Agricultural Returns in each year front 1910 to 1925 is as follows:
| Year. | No. of Holdings. |
| 1910 | 288,802 |
| 1911 | 292,488 |
| 1912 | 292,720 |
| 1913 | 292,446 |
| 1914 | 291,722 |
| 1915 | 289,689 |
| 1916 | 284,153 |
| 1917 | 278,556 |
| 1918 | 275,334 |
| 1919 | 272,568 |
| 1920 | 274,796 |
| 1921 | 278,343 |
| 1922 | 273,530 |
| 1923 | 270,588 |
| 1924 | 268,330 |
| 1925 | 264,787 |
§ As regards the second part of the question, the number of applicants for statutory smallholdings for whom holdings had not been provided up to July. 1925, when the last returns were obtained from the councils concerned, was 16,967, of whom, however, 12,838 were either civilian applicants or ex-service men who applied after 1st December, 1920, neither of whom were entitled to be provided with holdings under be Land Settlement Scheme until the requirements of other applicants had been met.
§ 38. Mr. ELLIS DAVIESasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the number of tenants who, in buying their farms, took advantage of the provisions in the Small Holdings Act, 1892, or as 613 subsequently amended, by which four-fifths of the purchase money could be obtained through the county council at 3½, per cent. interest?
Mr. GUINNESSThe number of small holdings sold to the occupiers by county councils and councils of county boroughs during the period when the conditions were as stated by the hon. Member, that is to say, from 1892 to 1914, was 109. In addition, 127 small holdings were purchased by the sitting tenants direct from their landlords, with the aid of advances made by councils during the same period.
§ 42. Brigadier - General CLIFTON BROWNasked the Minister of Agriculture what were the total losses incurred by county council small-holding estates in 1925; whether he intends to continue grants to make up these annual losses; and, if so, on what year or term of years are these grants to be based?
Mr. GUINNESSThe latest period for which information is available is the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, and the claims in respect of losses incurred by county councils in England and Wales during that year amount to £1791,850. Similar claims will be made in respect of the year ending 31st March, 1926, but thereafter the Ministry's payments will cease to be made on the basis of annual losses, but will be determined by the results of the valuation now in progress under the Land Settlement (Facilities) Amendment Act, 1925. Until that valuation is completed, it will not be possible to say for how long the Ministry's contributions will continue.
Brigadier-General BROWNDoes the right hon. Gentleman contemplate continuing these small holdings, and losing £700,000 a year?
Mr. GUINNESSI do not think it would be fair to judge the prospects in the future by the entirely exceptional conditions which had to be faced by settling ex-service men on the land at a time of high prices, when it was prohibitive to put up necessary farm buildings,
§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH - COOKECan the hon. Gentleman say how many ex-service men have been settled on these small holdings?
§ 59. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Agriculture the actual number of small holdings that were set up under all land settlement schemes between 1917 and 1924; the acreage of land involved; and the estimated loss of capital to the nation in all these schemes?
Mr. GUINNESSAs the reply is rather long, and contains a number of figures, I propose, with the hon. Member's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The total area of land acquired and retained by the councils of counties and county boroughs in England and Wales for the purpose of small holdings under the Land Settlement Scheme inaugurated in 1919 was, at the end of 1924, 252,197 acres, on which 16,018 small-holding tenants were then settled. A further 1,463 acres have been sold by councils to the tenants, 255 in number. The capital expenditure incurred by councils since the Armistice on acquisition, adaptation and equipment of land has amounted to approximately £15,110,000, but part of this sum has been expended on land acquired before the War on which 2,475 men have been settled since the War, in addition to those already mentioned.
§ A valuation of the councils' estates is now in progress for the purpose of the financial settlement between the councils and the Ministry as at the 1st April next, and pending the completion of this valuation it is impossible to state what capital loss has been incurred. It is anticipated, however, that about one-half of the cost may have to be written off.
§ The foregoing figures exclude 277 small-holdings comprising a total area of 2,323 acres on estates transferred by the Ministry to county councils. In addition, the Ministry has provided 327 small-holdings on 5,830 acres on estates which it still retains. It is not possible in respect of these two classes of property to give separately the capital expenditure for the small-holdings only, as the land on which they have been provided was acquired with land partly 615 managed as farms, some of which has since been disposed of by sale or otherwise.