§ 41. Mr. SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that by the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts certain moneys were placed at the disposal of the Department of Agriculture both from moneys annually voted by Parliament and from loans through the Public Works Loans Commissioners; that by these Acts the moneys were inter alia to be applied by the Department in providing assistance by way of loans to new landholders to enable them to acquire rights in the buildings on their holdings, which loans were payable by way of annuities; and that in many cases before the loans have been repaid the Department has relet these holdings to new tenants at equipped rents which make no provision for the repayment of the balance of the loans; and what steps it is proposed to take to secure repayment of the sums lent?
Mr. W. ADAMSONA landholder does not and cannot in law acquire or transfer right of property in the buildings but only acquires right of compensation for his improvements. As regards the sums borrowed by the Department from the Public Works Loans Commissioners the annuities in repayment of these borrowings are provided by revenues from the estates and where such revenues prove to be insufficient by the amount voted to the Department in terms of Sub-section 3 of Section 26 of the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act. 1919.
§ Mr. SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the question on the Paper, namely, what steps it is proposed to take to secure repayment of the sums lent?
Mr. ADAMSONI have done my best, and I hope successfully, to answer the question. May I point out, further; that within the last fortnight we have had an opportunity of discussing all the legal complexities referred to in the hon. Member's question, and these are so great that it is impossible within the limits of question and answer to deal with them.