§ 85. Mr. RAMSAYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to Section 47, Subsection (3), of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, whereby small landholders are deprived of the benefits of the De-rating Act if they apply for a revaluation of their holdings and the Land Court gives its decision on such application, thereby penalising the landholders should they claim the statutory right to apply for revaluation of their holdings under the Small Landholders Acts; and whether the Government proposes to take the necessary steps to have that portion of the Clause in question rescinded?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Adamson)I am aware of the terms of the Section referred to. The permanent de-rating benefits conferred by the Act are not affected by the provisions of Section 47, which deals solely with payments by landlords to tenants and which are intended, under the scheme of the Act, to be temporary in their duration. As regards the last part of the question, I am not in a position to give any undertaking as to legislation on the subject.