Mr. DOYLEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture if he will give the number of small holders at the present time and state the increase during the last 12 months; how many additional demobilised soldiers and sailors have been provided with small holdings during the past year, and what is the total of such men who have secured land; 1244W what is the maximum and minimum rent; and how many landowners, farmers, and others have refused to grant facilities for ex-service men to secure land?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe total number of small holders provided with land by Councils under the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts is approximately 22,000, and of this number, 6,837 have been provided with land since 1st January, 1919, of whom 5,640 are ex-service men. A further 511 ex-service men or women have been accommodated on the Ministry's farm settlements. In all, 221,756 acres have been acquired for land settlement, sufficient to provide holdings for approximately 20,000 out of the 21,175 applicants approved up to date. As regards the third part of the question, the rent of a small holding varies according to the quality of the land, the situation, the proximity to markets and whether it has a house and buildings upon it and, if so, of what character, and it would be misleading to attempt to give figures of maximum and minimum rents. In reply to the last part of the question, it is obviously impossible to give any figures, but the powers entrusted to Councils are adequate to ensure that the work of land settlement shall proceed expeditiously and satisfactorily.