§ Mr. WINTRINGHAMasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture the number of men who have been settled upon the land under the Land Settlement Act, the number of applications which have been received, the number of acres purchased, the amount expended on land purchase, and the amount advanced to settlers?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe number of men actually settled and in possession of their holdings under the Land Settlement Acts is 8,314, of whom 7,610 have been settled by county councils and 704 on the Ministry's farm settlements. In addition sufficient land has already been acquired to settle a further 8,866 men as soon as it can be equipped and made available. The total number of applications received is 43,175, of whom 24,474 have been approved. The total number of acres acquired is 257,859. I cannot give complete figures of expenditure on land purchased, but as regards 219,604 acres, of which I have returns, the cost was £9,315,000, or £42 per acre. I have no information at the present moment of 1107W the advances made by county councils, but 25 advances have been made by the Ministry totalling £3,640.