HC Deb 18 August 1919 vol 119 c1972W
Mr. MACQUISTEN

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether A. M'Laren, Ardtaluaig, Aberfeldy, a smallholder, and several other smallholders in the same distruct, have been applying to the Board of Agriculture for additional grazing for the last eight years; and whether a farm of over 3,000 acres rough grazing land, adjoining their holdings, changed hands, and would have been available if the Board would have taken it over?

Mr. MUNRO

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As the result of negotiations between the Board and the Breadalbane Estate in 1914, the applicant in question and one other were granted permission to graze extra stock on hill ground on which they had existing rights. Later the Board considered the possibility of framing a scheme on the large sheep farm of Claggen and Achomer, in the vicinity of the Breadalbane Estate, which fell out of lease in 1918, and which the owner was willing to make available, but they were obliged to abandon the proposal because of the expense involved, mainly in connection with the sheep stock obligation, which had become excessively heavy in consequence of the War.