§ 49. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ex-service men have applied for small holdings on the Shiel Estate?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe number of outstanding applications from ex-service men in Gienshiel Parish for holdings on the Shiel Estate is five.
§ Mr. MACLEANCan the right hon. Gentleman say how long these five applications have been outstanding, and when it is likely that allocations will be made in these eases?
§ Sir J. GILMOURNo, Sir; I am not in a position at the moment to reply to that question.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that hundreds of ex-service men have been applying for small holdings for years, and their applications have never been met?
§ Mr. MACLEANReferring to the right hon. Gentleman's reply to my supplementary question, is it not the case that two of these applications were lodged with the Board of Agriculture by two men who were then fighting in France, and that even now, 10 or 11 years afterwards, they have not received the small holdings for which they applied when they were fighting?
§ Sir J. GILMOUROf course, some applications were submitted as far back as 1912. Some have been dealt with, and some, for various reasons, have been disposed of in other ways; and, as I have said, there are five now remaining.
§ Mr. MACLEANDoes the right hon. Gentleman wish the House to believe that it takes 11 years to grant a small holding in a particular parish in Scotland'? Is that the speed with which his Department acts?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is a matter for debate.
§ Mr. MACLEANMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he is aware that two of these individuals who applied while 234 they were in France are at the present time unemployed and are not receiving unemployment benefit?
§ 50. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how often the Board of Agriculture has had the Shiel estate inspected for the purpose of small holdings since the War; and whether he can state the Report made by the officials who made the inspections?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe estate has been inspected on three occasions since the War. The Reports showed that the cost of a scheme would have been excessive.
§ Mr. MACLEANCan the right hon. Gentleman tell the House what were the figures given by the inspectors who examined the estate?
§ Sir J. GILMOURNo, Sir. The Minister is responsible, in conjunction with the Treasury, for considering whether the scheme is a reasonable scheme or not.
§ Mr. MACLEANAs the right hon. Gentleman is the Minister in question, are we to take it that the holding up of this scheme is due to him?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI, of course, have full responsibility as far as regards any individual scheme, and that is my duty as Minister.
§ Mr. MACLEANIs it not due to the fact that there are some landowners in this particular parish whom the right hon. Gentleman wishes to shield?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that there are hundreds of ex-service men who have been waiting for years for small holdings, and that the Secretary of State for Scotland is doing all that he can to discourage small holdings in Scotland?