§ 1. Sir IAN MACPHERSONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered representations from smallholders under the Department of Agriculture in connection with their financial obligations to the Department; and whether, seeing that these obligations are now so onerous as to make living on their holdings impossible in many cases, he is prepared to consider measures of relief under statutory authority which could be administered by the Scottish Land Court who know all the circumstances?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Sir Godfrey Collins)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. On the information before me I have no reason to think it necessary to invite the Land Court to undertake a special revision of the holder's obligations, but if my right hon. and learned Friend will send me par- 1721 ticulars of any cases he has in mind I shall be glad to examine the matter further.
§ Sir I. MACPHERSONWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him whether he does not consider that it is now necessary to have a Royal Commission appointed to consider the working of the Acts relating to small landholders in Scotland over the last 50 years?
§ Sir G. COLLINSNot at the moment. As my right hon. and learned Friend knows, the Land Court is there charged with the duty of revising the rents and the annuities of these individuals. It is true that these individuals have to pay sums for their sheep-stocks, but as my right hon. and learned Friend is aware, there is at present a moratorium in respect of sheep stocks in Skye which comes up again for review in October, 1935.