§ Sir HARRY VERNEYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture in how many cases the Commissioners of the Board have found it necessary to take action in supplying the demand for small holdings in counties where the county councils have refused to do so; and whether the non-interference in all other cases is due to the fact that the Board is satisfied with the way in which the county councils have administered the Act?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on the 14th instant. In the case of one county council and one county borough schemes have been prepared by the Commissioners for the provision of Small Holdings, and the Board have made orders directing the Commissioners to carry the schemes into effect. The Board are satisfied, on the whole, with the administration of the Acts by the county councils, with some few exceptions. The Board are in constant touch with the councils, and will not fail to take whatever action seems best adapted to ensure the proper administration of the Act.
Captain GUESTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the extensive duties which devolve upon the Small Holding Commissioners under the Act, and in view of the fact that there is so much demand for their services in different parts of the country, the Board will consider the advisability of adding to their number?
§ Sir EDWARD STRACHEYThe answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. CLIVEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture 578W whether valuation fees are only repayable to small holdings committees if they have been actually paid to land valuers or to the county council land agent, and not if they were included in the agent's salary; and, if so, whether, in view of the desirability of giving the agent a fixed salary, he will agree to repay these fees according to scale, even though they are only earned as part of the agent's salary?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe answer to the first part is in the affirmative. If an agent is paid a fixed salary the Board have no power to repay more than such part of his salary as is proportionate to the amount of time spent on work in relation to the acquisition of land.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture how many small holdings of fifty acres and under there are now in England and Wales; how many there were in 1907; and how many have been constituted under the Small Holdings Act, 1908?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYIn 1910 the number was 288,802, and in 1907 289,093. The number of small holdings actually established under the Act on 31st December, 1910, was 5,605.
§ Colonel YATEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in order to meet the requirements of approved applicants who are waiting for small holdings, he will consider the question of the acquisition of glebe lands for the purpose?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe Board issued a circular to county councils on 16th May, 1908, calling their attention to the desirability of acquiring glebe lands. They have also made rules providing that in all cases of the sale of glebe under the Glebe Lands Act, 1888, notice of the sale must be given by the incumbent to the county council.
Mr. JARDINEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the quantity of land acquired or agreed to be acquired (referred to in Column 4 of the Table supplied on 13th March, 1911), is the total land acquired or agreed to be acquired for small holdings up to 31st December, 1910, under the Small Holdings Act, 1908, since the Act came into operation?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe answer is in the affirmative.