§ VISCOUNT NOVARMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government when the Bill it undertook to introduce after Easter in order to enable the Scottish Board of Agriculture to continue to acquire land for small holdings will be placed before the House.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLLMy Lords, owing to the pressure of Parliamentary business it has not been found possible to introduce legislation as was hoped at the date when the reply was given to the question put by the noble Viscount on April 11 last. In the meantime the powers of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland to acquire land by compulsion under the provisions of Section 1 of the Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919, are continued until December 31, 1922, by the Expiring Laws Continuance Act. It is regretted that the fact that these powers have been so continued was overlooked when a reply was given on April 11 last. Under the section referred to it is open to the landlord in the case of compulsory acquisition of his land to accept a feu duty. I think that meets the noble Viscount's point.
§ VISCOUNT NOVARI will raise the Question again when Parliament, reassembles.