41. Brigadier-General BROWN (for Major CARVER)asked the Minister of Agriculture whether there is any difficulty at the present time in securing land for the purposes of smallholdings; if, taking each county in turn, he will state the number of smallholdings which exist; the number 750 of unsatisfied applications; the number of smallholdings now vacant; and the number of changes of tenancy in existing smallholdings within the last two years?
§ Major ELLIOTI presume that my hon. and gallant Friend refers to smallholdings provided under the Smallholdings Acts. As the reply involves a long table of figures, I propose, with his permission, to send him a statement giving the information asked for in the second and third parts of his question. I have no information as to the number of smallholdings now vacant nor as to changes of tenancy, as such information could only be obtained by specially circularising every county council in England and Wales. With reference to the first part of the question, I am not aware of any special difficulty in acquiring land for smallholdings at the present time.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSWill the statement referred to be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and, if not, will he let hon. Members have a copy of it?
§ Major ELLIOTWe are not proposing to publish the statement in the OFFICIAL 1hPORT, but I can put a copy in the Library if hon. Members wish to see it.
§ Mr. GODFREY NICHOLSONWill the right hon. Gentleman be sympathetic if I produce cases of men who have had experience, and want to go on the land, but who, owing to the lack of grants by the county councils and the Government, are unable to do so?
§ Major ELLIOTMy hon. Friend knows that the responsibility lies with the county councils at present.