§ 9. Sir MURDOCH McKENZIE WOODasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state whether the estate of Balmedie, near Aberdeen, has been 712 acquired by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland for the constitution of smallholdings; how many holdings it is proposed to create on this estate; how many holdings have already been offered to applicants; whether any applicants have refused to accept such holdings and, if so, on what grounds; and whether the conditions of let offered included security of tenure and fair rents as defined by the Small Landholders Acts?
§ Sir G. COLLINSPart of the estate of Balmedie was acquired at Whitsunday, 1933, for land settlement. A scheme for 36 holdings is under consideration. No holdings have yet been offered to applicants. The remaining parts of the question do not therefore arise.
§ Sir M. WOODMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is the case that applicants have been invited, that the rent has been indicated to them, and that they have stated or indicated that they could not accept the smallholdings on the terms suggested?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI should require to have notice of that question.
§ Sir M. WOODHave I not given sufficient notice already to enable the right hon. Gentleman to answer my supplementary question?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI have told my hon. Friend that the scheme is under consideration, and no holdings, so far as my knowledge goes, have been offered.
§ Sir M. WOODDoes that mean that they have not been offered in writing? Is not the suggestion made by me correct, that they were shown the holdings and that the rent was indicated to them and that they said that they simply could not take over the holdings?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI hesitate to contra diet my hon. Friend but this information has been placed at my disposal this morning. The answer I have given, but, in view of the hon. Member's representations to me, I will make further inquiries.