§ 53. Viscount ELMLEYasked the Minister of Agriculture if he will circularise county councils with regard to the desirability of their exercising their statutory powers for acquiring land for letting to smallholders at a fair rent wherever there is a demand for such land?
§ Mr. N. BUXTONAs I informed the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mr. W. B. Taylor) on the 12th December, in reply to a similar suggestion, the question of issuing a circular letter to county councils is a matter which is receiving my careful consideration.
§ Viscount ELMLEYIn view of the fact that so much land is going out of cultivation every year, cannot the county councils be reminded of the powers that they possess?
§ Mr. BUXTONI am issuing a circular, and I have pointed to their duties by answers in this House.
Captain BENNETTHas the Ministry of Agriculture ever exercised the powers vested in it by the Act of 1908 of procuring smallholdings for applicants in default of the county councils exercising their powers?
§ Mr. BUXTONI regret to say that those powers were repealed by the late Government.