83. Mr. FALCONERasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if he will state how many new small holdings have been created in Scotland since the passing of the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919; in how many of these cases have the tenants been settled on land which has been purchased by the Board of Agriculture; what has been the total cost of creating these holdings; and how much of it is due to the purchase of the land?
§ Captain ELLIOTUnder the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919, the Board have settled applicants in 1,219 new holdings and 674 enlargements, of which 762 and 140 respectively were on properties acquired by the Board under Part I of the Act. I am not yet in a position to give the actual total cost of the holdings already formed, but the total estimated gross cost of the schemes in question, which on completion will have provided for the settlement of an additional 1,037 holders, is £2,309,161, including £433,420 in respect of the purchase prices of properties acquired by the Board. In addition to the latter figure, the acquisition of certain properties involves the payment of £25,137 annually over varying periods of years.
85. Major McKENZIE WOODasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health in how many cases the tenants on holdings created by the Board of Agriculture have not had their rents finally fixed?
§ Captain ELLIOTIn all but 15 cases the rents of holdings created by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland have been intimated to the holders. The hon. and gallant Member is, however, aware that in certain cases the rents already fixed are to be revised by the Land Court at the request of the holders concerned, and to that extent they cannot be said to be final.