§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will give a reference to any Treasury Minute, with its date and the statutory authority for it, disentitling purchasers of land in Ireland, while paying interest in lieu of rent, from borrowing money from the Board of Works for buildings, drainage, or other improvements of their holdings; the number of landholders now disabled by this cause from improving their holdings; whether some of them have been, without any fault of theirs, for ten years in this condition; and whether he will take any steps either to have the sales completed or the restriction removed?
590W
§ Mr. ACLANDPurchasers of land in Ireland while paying interest in lieu of rent are not debarred either by Treasury Minute or by Statute from borrowing from the Board of Works for improvements, but until their holdings are vested loans can only be matte to them as occupiers under Section 31 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, and the rules approved by the Treasury provide that such loans shall not be granted for less than £35 or, in ordinary circumstances, for more than three times the valuation of the holding. Tenant purchasers whose valuation is below £11 13s. 4d. cannot, therefore, obtain loans until their holdings are vested. I understand that the number of such cases existing could not be stated without a detailed examination of each case, and that the holdings in pending cases of land purchases are being vested with all the dispatch possible in present circumstances.