§ Mr. HAYDAYasked the Minister of Agriculture the total sum received, and over what period, by the clerk or other officials of the Bedfordshire County Council, as purely personal charges when land has been let to the registered cooperative small holdings societies in this county; and in what other counties are charges made when co-operative societies take up land for small holdings?
Mr. JONESThe total sum received by all officials of the Bedfordshire County Council during the past seven years in respect of land leased to registered co-operative societies is £50 5s. None of the work done formed part of the duties of the officials concerned, and if not carried out by them would have had to have been entrusted to some other outside person and paid for by the society. The Ministry is not aware of the practice obtaining in other counties as regards co-474W operative societies requesting officials of the councils to undertake tenant-right valuation work for them.