§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture, what portion of the sum of £41,200, expended by the Board during the last five years in the administration of the Small Holdings Act, 1908, represents expenses incurred by county councils and repaid by the Board; what is the nature of these expenses; what is the present number of the Board's small holdings staff; and how many of them devote part of their time to any and, if any, what other duties?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe average annual amount repaid to county councils during the last five years is £26,800. This sum represents expenses incurred by councils in relation to the acquisition of land, including valuations of land, conveyancing expenses, cost of compulsory proceedings, staff and office expenses, registration of title and payments for compensation under the Small Holdings Act, 1910, and also the repayment of one-half of the expenses incurred in ascertaining the demand for small holdings. The Board's small holdings staff numbers twenty-three, of whom eight devote part of their time to other ditties, namely, the administration of the Lands Improvement Acts, the Universities and College Estates Acts, the Glebe Lands Act, the Settled Land Act, the Agricultural Holdings Act, and the Light Railways Act, and also the schemes for the improvement of live stock.