§ 52. Mr. SKELTONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any facilities exist equivalent to those provided in England by the Small Holdings and Allotments 35 Act, 1926, for Scottish smallholders purchasing their holdings; and, if not, whether he proposes to introduce legislation for this purpose?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Sir John Gilmour)There are no facilities in Scotland exactly similar to those provided in England by the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926, but the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919, contains provisions under which a tenant of a holding on a small holding colony owned by the Board may purchase his holding if he so desires. I do not at present contemplate legislation on this point.
§ Mr. SKELTONIs any portion of such purchase money given to the Scottish smallholders by the Board or other such authority as under the English Act?
§ Sir J. GILMOURNo, the positions are not similar.
§ 53. Mr. SKELTONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what sum it is proposed to expend during the present financity year in the establishment of new small holdings in Scotland?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe provision on the Estimate of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland for the present financial year for Grants-in-Aid of the Land Settlement purposes of the Small Landholders Acts, the Small Holding Colonies Acts and the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919, is £175,000. As it is not posssible to estimate with accuracy the expenditure in any year on this service, this sum may not be fully expended on new small holding schemes during the year. Any unexpended balance will be available to meet commitments as they mature in connection with new schemes.
§ Mr. SKELTONAre we to understand that the policy of small holding development is meanwhile being continued, despite the appointment of a Departmental Committee.
§ Sir J. GILMOURCertainly.
§ 56. Sir R. HAMILTONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of small holdings, including enlargements, that have been created in the various counties of Scotland, respectively, since 1912?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI have sent the hon. Member a statement giving the particulars referred to; and I propose with his permission to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
| County. | New Holdings. | Enlargments. | Total. | |
| Aberdeen | … | 38 | — | 38 |
| Argyll | … | 280 | 138 | 418 |
| Ayr | … | 119 | 2 | 121 |
| Banff | … | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Berwick | … | 95 | — | 95 |
| Bute | … | 24 | 5 | 29 |
| Caithness | … | 186 | 148 | 334 |
| Clackmannan | … | — | — | — |
| Dumfries | … | 153 | — | 153 |
| Dumbarton | … | 21 | 1 | 22 |
| East Lothian | … | 71 | — | 71 |
| Fife | … | 68 | — | 68 |
| Forfar | … | 36 | — | 36 |
| Inverness | … | 808 | 478 | 1,286 |
| Kincardine | … | 29 | — | 29 |
| Kinross | … | — | — | — |
| Kirkcudbright | … | 81 | — | 81 |
| Lanark | … | 5 | — | 5 |
| Midlothian | … | 51 | — | 51 |
| Moray | … | — | — | — |
| Nairn | … | — | — | — |
| Orkney | … | 23 | 64 | 87 |
| Peebles | … | 26 | — | 26 |
| Perth | … | 80 | 8 | 88 |
| Renfrew | … | 25 | — | 25 |
| Ross | … | 337 | 374 | 711 |
| Roxburgh | … | 17 | — | 17 |
| Selkirk | … | 12 | — | 12 |
| Shetland | … | 76 | 204 | 280 |
| Stirling | … | 1 | — | 1 |
| Sutherland | … | 80 | 218 | 298 |
| West Lothian | … | 18 | — | 18 |
| Wigtown | … | 32 | — | 32 |
| Total | … | 2,794 | 1,641 | 4,435 |
§ NOTE.—In addition, the Board have settled 346 applicants on 342 new holdings and 4 enlargements which have been vacated by the original tenants or which have on becoming vacant been amalgamated with other holdings. The total number of applicants settled from 1st April, 1912 to 31st March, 1927, is thus 4,781 (3,136 new holdings and 1,645 enlargements).