§ Brigadier-General CLIFTON BROWNasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will issue a table for each county in England and Wales showing the profits and losses accruing to them from their small holdings in 1928; the amount of grant from the Government to each county; the cost to the ratepayer, if any; and the percentage average for each county that the management, staff and office expenses, salaries, travelling, etc., hears to the total cost?
Mr. GUINNESSMost of the information desired by my hon. and gallant Friend is not in the possession of my Department, and I am afraid it is not practicable to obtain it. As regards the holdings provided before the passing of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926, such general information as has reached the Department would indicate that the contributions payable under the valuation made in accordance with the Land Settlement (Facilities) Amendment Act, 1925, have hitherto been sufficient in every instance to enable councils to administer their small holdings without any charge on the rates, and in some cases to set aside a sum for future contingencies. The precise amount of grant payable to each county cannot as yet be stated, as a number of agreements still remain to be finally completed; in the meantime payment has been made on the basis of very close estimates. A report dealing with this and other aspects of the valuation will be issued in due course. With regard to small holdings provided under the Act of 1926, the report of the Land Division of the Ministry for 1927, now in the press, contains information as to the estimated loss arising in connection with such holdings and the amount of the Ministry's contribution towards such loss. The council's share of the loss which is fixed by the Act at not less than 25 per cent. of the total, falls on the council's small holdings accounts but not necessarily on the local rates. I have no information as to the cost of management, etc. in each county.