§ 23. Major CRAWFURDasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the War Department have intimated to their tenants, the Ludgershall Parish Council, that the rent of their holding which is divided into allotments will be raised 50 per cent. at Michaelmas next, and that the new rent. proposed is 30s. per acre or 100 per cent. more than the rent obtained from the War Depart-meet's tenant of the neighbouring land; and whether it is the practice of his Department to charge higher rents to allotment holders and smallholders than to large farmers?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe statements in the hon. and gallant Member's question are not correct. I would refer him to the reply which I gave on the 23rd ultimo to the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Hurd).
§ Major CRAWFURDIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Ludgershall Council were debarred from taking 226 War Office land for allotment purposes because the rent had been raised to a figure higher than the rent paid for similar adjacent land which was being used for ordinary farming?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI think the hon. and gallant Gentleman had better study the answer which I gave before. It deals with the differences in rent to which he refers.
§ Major Sir ARCHIBALD SINCLAIRIn the answer to which the right hon. Gentleman refers, he stated that the amount of the rent was based upon the user of the land. Does that mean that, if it is used for allotments, the men have to pay a higher rent than is charged for a large farm?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSYes, Sir; it does, and for reasons which I should have expected would have been familiar to the hon. Baronet.
§ Major CRAWFURDMay we assume that it is part of the Government's agricultural policy that, where they can arrange for it, those who use the land for allotments shall pay a higher rent than those who use the land for ordinary farming.?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a matter for debate.