§ Mr. ELLISasked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he can now give a Return of the particulars as to the progress of the operation of The Small Holdings Act, 1908, based upon the figures furnished by the local authorities to the Board by the 20th March in response to the circular of inquiry issued under section 59 of the Act?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI think the following table will give the information for which my right hon. Friend asks:—
1373W1374W1375W
Particulars up to 31st December, 1908, extracted from Returns furnished by County Councils. Acreage of scheme submitted to the Board up to 31st March, 1909. Remarks. County. Total number of applications. Total acreage applied for. Approximate number of approved applicants. Estimated acreage required for approved applicants. Quantity of land already arranged to be acquired in acres. Number of applicants provided for by the council. Number of applicants provided for by private landowner. ENGLAND— Beds 487 7,442 No definite information. 1,019 21 & 1 Co-op. Soc. 9 972 Berks 312 7,287 131 2,758 1,396 — 6 1,436 Bucks 450 9,400 260 5,250 300 — 8 321 Cambridge 1,113 11,857 799 7,124 1,533 71 — 1,573 1 compulsory order submitted. Chester 181 4,155 150 3,915 973 — 5 997 Cornwall 240 3,841 149 2,434 286 8 3 424 1 ditto Cumberland 66 1,410 49 990 3 — 16 84 Derby 158 2,213 105 1,306 — — 3 220 Devon 482 8,480 335 6,700 571 — 41 749 5 ditto Dorset 307 5,889 171 3,097 27 1 20 182 1 ditto Durham 388 6,776 347 6,369 — — 3 732 Essex 447 7,887 186 2,447 238 11 19 360 Gloucester 563 10,100 No definite information. 730 43 47 757 1 ditto Hereford 333 6,920 179 out of 306 considered. 3,352 464 13 530 2 ditto Herts 227 5,010 113 out of 157 considered. 2,048 461 22 6 606 Hunts 479 5,845 291 3,129 97 3 Not known. 707 1 ditto Isle of Ely 1,242 10,933 948 6,090 887 50 (abt.) do. 887 Isle of Wight 103 2,118 65 1,179 105 9 do. 188 Kent 718 9,724 488 6,333 496 31 12 718 Lancs 244 3,077 170 1,942 103 — 10 103 Leicester 315 5,867 172 3,062 620 — Not known 657 1 ditto Lincs (Holland) 537 8,345 423 4,768 690 20 do. 938 Lincs (Kesteven) 257 4,228 166 2,711 525 — do. 1,153 1 ditto Lincs (Lindsey) 530 10,397 450 8,837 450 — 10 450 London 31 309 No definite information. — — — — Middlesex 184 1,719 88 658 — — — 94 Monmouth 285 6,090 184 3,200 — — — 193 1 ditto Norfolk 1,660 23,668 784 9,212 1,905 70 5 1,907 9 ditto Northants 424 6,146 200 & 25 Co-op. Socs. 5,276 715 1 & 1 Co-op. Soc. 15 926 1 ditto Northumberland 468 12,051 274 7,534 632 — 10 746 1 ditto Notts 242 4,059 124 1,285 513 — Not known. 517 Oxford 590 12,266 422 7,169 426 21 32 426 Rutland 63 1,225 23 305 25 — 5 232 Salop 395 5,963 222 3,521 259 — 49 325 2 ditto Soke of Peterboro' 52 784 Many eligible. 351 85 3 — 115 1 ditto Somerset 1,924 25,543 1,084 15,105 1,377 28 39 1,391 Southampton 515 7,672 222 2,712 122 5 — 129 1376W
Particulars up to 31st December, 1908, extracted from Returns Furnished by County Councils. Acreage of schemes submitted to the Board up to 31st March, 1909. Remarks. County. Total number of application. Total acreage applied for. Approximate number of approved applicants. Estimated acreage required for approved applicants. Quantity of land already arranged to be acquired in acres. Number of applicants provided for by the Council. Number of applicants provided for by private landowner. Stafford 224 3,718 123 2,333 126 — 38 355 Suffolk East 264 4.206 95 1,346 274 — 15 274 Suffolk West 256 3.620 101 1,445 52 — 12 295 Surrey 265 2,948 104 1,273 — — 7 10 Sussex East 159 2,023 77 1.152 — — 17 2 Sussex West 97 1,613 66 1,057 — — 16 3 Warwick 388 7,600 84 out of 163 considered. 1,229 342 — 11 373 2 compulsory orders submitted. Westmoreland 33 569 11 161 64 6 2 64 Wilts … … 807 15,604 422 7,621 551 2 & 1 Co-op. Soc. 24 861 Worcester 753 8,567 510 5,783 156 34 44 346 Yorks (E. Riding) 570 13,007 94 1,420 101 — 22 462 Yorks (N. Riding) 292 5,541 143 2,144 — — 10 200 Yorks (W. Riding) 277 4,501 221 3,431 — — 14 27 Total 21,397 340,163 11,825 172,664 19,699 460 & 3 Co-op. Soc. 618 26,017 WALES— Anglesey 220 4,362 210 (abt.) Not decided. 455 14 — 455 Brecknock 194 3,163 191 Not decided. — — 8 — Cardigan 131 2,096 129 Nearly all the land applied for. — — 4 — Carmarthen 96 2,122 40 973 28 — 6 — 7 ditto Carnarvon 68 No definite information 36 374 — — 1 — Denbigh 157 1,840 111 1,235 843 2 10 904 Flint 114 1,450 56 1,260 — — — — Glamorgan 379 7,493 210 Not decided — — Not Known. 158 Merioneth 49 649 29 576 — — 1 — Montgomery 233 3,618 171 3,590 57 — 39 57 Pembroke 153 3,780 121 2,648 — — 1 317 Radnor 113 2,414 73 1,420 308 14 10 341 Total 1,898 32,987 1,377 11,986 1,691 30 80 2,232 Grand Total for England and Wales 23,296 373,150 13,202 184,650 21,390 190 & 3 Co-op. Soc. 698 28,249