Captain TERRELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture what is the total number to 1528W date of ex-service men who have applied to the Ministry and to the county councils for small holdings; what is the number approved; what is the area actually acquired; what additional area is under consideration; and what is the number of ex-service men actually in occupation of their holdings?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe total number of ex-service men who have applied to the Ministry and to county councils and councils of county boroughs is 44,229. Up to the present 25,038 have been approved and about 7,700 are awaiting interview as to their qualifications. The area acquired since the 1st January, 1919, is 260,553 acres, and proposals for the acquisition of a further 30,000 are at present under consideration by the Ministry. The number of men actually settled is 10,487, of whom 9,042 are ex-service men, and it is estimated that the land acquired and not yet let will provide holdings for a further 8,000 men as soon as the additional cottages and buildings can be erected.