§ Mr. T. GRIFFITHSasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to state the result of his inquiries into the case of applicants for allotments at Northill, Bedfordshire, where the clerk to the parish council has decided not to call a meeting of his council to consider the matter until July, therefore putting off steps being taken to acquire the necessary land by Michaelmas next; and whether a previous application in 1920 for 50 acres for allotments in the same parish has been proceeded with?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI have had inquiries made into the matter by one of the Ministry's Sub-Commissioners, and am informed that a meeting of the Allotments Society was held in April last, as a result of which a list of applicants for allotments, together with particulars of the area of land required (67 acres), was forwarded to the clerk to the parish council. The letter was acknowledged on the 10th May, and the applicants were informed that the matter would be put before the council at their next meeting on the 19th July. The Sub-Commissioner has interviewed the clerk, who has promised to bring the matter up at this meeting, when the question of approaching the county council with a view to the exercise of compulsory powers of acquisition will probably be considered. The Ministry's Sub-Commissioner will attend the meeting. In reply to the last part of the question, the Ministry's Sub-Commissioner has been unable to trace the application in 1920 for 50 acres of land for allotments, but it is understood that 50 acres of land in the parish have been acquired during the current year for the provision of small holdings for ex-service men.