§ 53. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give an estimate of the total acreage devoted to allotment cultivation, the proportion of such land owned by local authorities, and the approximate annual amount and value of produce therefrom; whether the acreage for allotments has declined during the last year and the preceding five years; and whether he proposes to take any action to assist the development of allotment cultivation?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question contains a number of figures which, with his permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. As regards the second part of the question, I regard allotments as a valuable source of food supply, as well as a means of healthy and useful recreation, and I would urge local authorities to make the fullest use of the powers entrusted to them by Parliament for the purpose of providing allotments for residents in their areas.
§ Mr. SorensenWould the Minister himself initiate a scheme of assistance for allotment holders in this country?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI am discussing the whole question with the allotment societies on Friday next.
Following is the answer to the first part of the question:
The latest information available for the whole of England and Wales is that returned as at 31st December, 1934, when the estimated total area of public and private allotments was 134,000 acres. The corresponding figure previously obtained was 146,000 acres as at 31st December, 1930. The returns obtained since 1934 have been confined to urban authorities, covering about four-fifths of the total number of allotments provided by local authorities, and figures for these authorities for 1938 are at present in course of collection. For urban areas the total area of allotments (excluding railway allotments) was 60,900 acres in 1933, 60,700 in 1934, 59,700 in 1935, 59,250 in 1936, and 58,400 acres in 1937. The figure for 1364 1937 includes 14,600 acres (one-fourth of the total) purchased by the local authorities specifically for allotments, about 12,800 acres hired by them for that purpose, and about 7,200 acres which they hold for other purposes but utilise at present for allotments. No official estimate of the annual amount and value of the produce from allotments is available.