§ 51. Mr. MANDERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of land taken in settlement of Death Duties under the Finance Act, 1910, and the average per year; and whether he proposes to accept the offer of the Duke of Montrose and to accept land in Scotland in this connection?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Financial 969 Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Hurd) on 9th July, 1929. I am sending him a copy of that reply. No further land has been transferred under the arrangement since that date. As regards the second part of the hon. Member's question, the offer of land which has been received from the Duke of Montrose is receiving full consideration. I am not yet in a position to announce the result.
§ Mr. MANDERDoes not the Chancellor of the Exchequer feel that this is a unique opportunity to acquire for the nation "the bonny banks of Loch Lomond"?
§ Mr. SNOWDENOf course that is not a matter for me as Chancellor of the Exchequer, because, as the hon. Member knows, a committee was appointed—I think in 1911—and they recommended that the right which is given under a former Finance Act to accept land, should be restricted to land which is likely to be useful or necessary for some public purpose. In regard to the latter part of the question, I may say that I referred the offer of the Duke of Montrose to all the Departments likely to be interested in the matter, but, so far, none of them appears to agree with the hon. Member that it would be desirable in the national interest to acquire "the bonny banks of Loch Lomond."
§ Mr. MANDERIs it not possible, under the law, if the Government desire to do so, for them to accept this offer?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENYes.