§ 41. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has in contemplation any scheme for finding land for allotments for unemployed mining villages in England similar to the scheme initiated in Scotland?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Major Elliot)The powers under which the Department of Agriculture for Scotland are providing the land referred to are contained in the Small Land Holders (Scotland) Act, 1911. In England and Wales the responsibility for providing allotments is, under the Allotments Acts, vested in local authorities, and the provision of seeds, fertilizers and implements for the use of unemployed persons cultivating allotments is at present greatly facilitated by a grant which is being made from the Development Fund to the Society of Friends. The provisions of the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Act, 1931, enabling the Ministry to provide allotments for unemployed persons, have not been put into operation, as no funds can at present be made available for that purpose.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman satisfied with that state of affairs, or is he holding out a hope that the mining villages of, say, Staffordshire will be provided for on similar lines to those in Scotland?
§ Major ELLIOTIn the first place, it is a question of availability of funds; but I am sure that the results of the experiment which is now going on in Scotland will be of great interest and value.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWhy should Staffordshire be behind Scotland?
§ Mr. McGOVERNThey always have been behind.
§ Major ELLIOTThat is not necessarily so. I have known of cases where an experiment was not regarded as an advantage, but as a disadvantage.
§ Mr. MAXTONCould not the£900,000 which is being devoted to Territorial camps have been more profitably devoted to the development of agriculture?
§ Major ELLIOTI should certainly think that a great many of the people who are taking advantage of that grant are themselves unemployed men who would be very glad of the facilities offered by the Territorial camps.
§ Mr. MAXTONThe right hon. and gallant Gentleman will excuse me, but that was not my question—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis question is about allotments, and not about Territorial Army camps.