§ 62. Sir HARRY BRITTAINasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider the granting of short-term loans to established and prospective smallholders for the purchase of stock and equipment?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Guinness)Loans for the purposes mentioned can at present be guaranteed by county councils and the councils of county boroughs, in accordance with Section 18 of the Land Settlement (Facilities) Act, 1919. It is proposed, however, in the Small Holdings and Allotments Bill to repeal the Section referred to. The grounds for this proposal will no doubt be fully discussed during the Committee stages of the Bill.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINWill the right hon. Gentleman, while considering that, consider also some limited amount for implements to these smallholders?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI think that is a matter which had better be discussed on the Committee stage.
§ 63. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that many men who desire to go back to the land lack experience in small husbandry, and that the difficulty of marketing small lots of produce is a great handicap to success, he can see his way to consider the advisability of county councils establishing smallholders in groups, according to their class of produce, such groups thereby having facilities for marketing their produce in bulk?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI can assure my hon. Friend that the advantages of settling 1909 smallholders in groups are realised by county councils and that there is no reason why this method, which has been followed in a number of cases already, should not be continued and extended under the provisions of the Small Holdings and Allotments Bill.
§ 64. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Minister of Agriculture how many ex-service men who made application under the Land Settlement Facilities Act, 1919, have not yet been examined as to their suitability, and how many have been approved but not yet provided with holdings; whether he can say if the above classes will receive priority treatment under the Small Holdings Act, 1926; and whether he will consider giving power of appeal to an impartial authority in cases where undue delay has occurred in the provision of such small holdings?
§ Mr. GUINNESSThe number of ex-service applicants who had not been interviewed, or whose applications were standing over, on the 31st March, 1926, was 4,061, of whom 771 applied before 1st December, 1920, and were consequently entitled to preferential treatment. The number of ex-service applicants approved but not provided with holdings on the same date was 3,842, of whom 2,526 applied before 1st December, 1920, and 1,316 after that date. With regard to the last two parts of the question, I must ask my hon. Friend to await the Committee stage of the Small Holdings Bill, when these points will doubtless receive consideration.
§ Mr. A. V. ALEXANDERIs it not a fact that in many cases where land was compulsorily acquired for ex-service men, that land is to-day occupied by people who are not ex-service men?
§ Mr. GUINNESSUnder the Act of 1919, a preference had to be given to ex-service men.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs it not a fact that the expenditure of money for settling ex-service men on small holdings actually ceased in 1921, merely because of the colossal expense of providing small holdings for these men?
§ Mr. GUINNESSThe expenditure is going on now. We are settling a certain number of men, and money was actually expended last year.
§ Mr. PALINGIs it not a fact that there was a large number of ex-service men who were actually examined and passed as suitable candidates, but did not get holdings under that scheme, and who are still waiting?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI have given those figures in my answer.
§ Mr. PALINGIs that not in regard to men who made applications, but were not passed as suitable?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI have given in my answer the numbers of those who have been approved and who have not yet received holdings.