HC Deb 25 May 1922 vol 154 cc1445-8W
Sir B. CHADWICK

asked the Minister of Agriculture the allotment acreage in each town of the country of over 50,000 population; whether there is any official standard fixing what should, on the average, be the proportion of allotments to population; and whether, in the case of towns of large size with small allotment acreage, he will endeavour to do his utmost to ensure that this should not be diminished by post-war reconstructive policy?

Sir A. BOSCAWEN

The following statement is based on returns furnished by allotment authorities for the year ending 31st December, 1920, and on the population census of 1911, gives the latest available figures of the allotment acreage in towns, including metropolitan boroughs, of over 50,000 inhabitants. There is no official standard fixing what should be the proportion of allotments to population, but I would explain that the local authorities are under a statutory obligation to provide sufficient allotments for those of their residents who desire to cultivate plots. The answer to the third part of the question is in the affirmative.

ENGLAND.
Town. Population (1911 Census). Area of land used for allotment.
Acres.
Berks:
Reading 87,693 340
Cambs.:
Cambridge 55,812 416
Cheshire:
Birkenhead 130,794 150
Stockport 119,870 173
Wallasey 78,504 78
Cumherland:
Carlisle 52,225 114
Derby:
Derby: 123,410 687
Devon:
Exeter 59,092 136
Plymouth 207,456 236
Durham:
Darlington 55,631 153
Gateshead 116,917 70
S. Shields 108,647 79
W. Hartlepool 63,923 206
Stockton-on-Tees 58,521 133
Essex:
Southend 70,676 372
West Ham 289,030 132
Gloucester:
Bristol 357,048 1,217
Gloucester 50,305 238
Hants:
Bournemouth 78,674 100
Portsmouth 231,141 305
Southampton 119,012 237
Kent:
Gillingham 52,252 141
Lanes:
Barrow-in-Furness 63,770 98
Blackburn 133,052 140
Blackpool 60,746 39
Bolton 180,851 120
Bootle 69,876 43

ENGLAND.
Town. Population (1911 Census). Area of land used for allotment.
Acres.
Lanes—cont.
Burnley 106,765 108
Bury 59,040 62
Liverpool 753,353 565
Manchester 714,385 464
Oldham 147,483 30
Preston 117,088 160
Rochdale 91,428 64
St. Helens 96,551 95
Salford 231,357 98
Southport 69,643 39
Warrington 72,166 125
Wigan 89,152 16
Leicestershire:
Leicester 227,242 1,551
Lines:
Lincoln 57,285 139
London:
London County Council — 261
Metropolitan Boroughs:
Battersea 167,793 10
Camberwell 261,328 95
Chelsea 66,385 1
Deptford 109,182 —
Fulham 153,284 22
Greenwich 95,982 103
Hackney 222,587 22
Hammersmith 121,521 6
Hampstead 85,495 48
Holborn 49,357 1
Kensington 172,317 13
Lambeth 298,058 78
Lewisham 165,249 396
Poplar 162,442 35
St. Marylebone 118,160 —
St. Pancras 218,387 2
Wandsworth 311,360 346
Westminster 160,261 —
Woolwich 121,376 162
Middlesex:
Ealing 61,222 189
Hornsey 84,592 167
Monmouth:
Newport 83,691 186
Norfolk:
Gt. Yarmouth 55,905 95
Norwich 121,478 673
Northants:
Northampton 90,064 346

ENGLAND.
Town. Population (1911 Census). Area of land used for allotment.
Acres.
Northumberland:
Newcastle 266,603 359
Tynemouth 58,816 67
Oxford:
Oxford 53,048 283
Somerset:
Bath 69,173 215
Staffs:
Smethwick 70,694 136
Stoke-on-Trent 234,534 460
Walsall 92,115 442
West Bromwich 68,322 160
Wolverhampton 95,328 219
Suffolk:
Ipswich 73,932 153
Surrey:
Croydon 169,551 608
Wimbledon 54,966 132
Sussex:
Eastbourne 52,542 229
Brighton 131,237 231
Warwick:
Birmingham 840,202 1,903
Coventry 106,349 483
Wilts:
Swindon 50,751 430
Worcester:
Dudley 51,079 160
Yorks (East Riding):
Hull 277,991 446
York 82,282 233
Yorks (North Riding):
Middlesbrough 119,910 580
Yorks (West Riding)
Bradford 288,458 247
Huddersfield 107,821 300
Leeds 452,948 599
Rotherham 62,483 211
Sheffield 459,916 1,054
Wakefield 51,511 175
Doncaster 50,860 181
WALES.
Glamorgan:
Cardiff 182,259 515
Merthyr Tydfil 80,990 184
Swansea 153,288 199