HC Deb 18 March 1925 vol 181 cc2292-3W
Sir A. SINCLAIR

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, in view of the dissatisfaction which is being expressed in the Highlands of Scotland as to the allocation of the drainage grant in connection with the Government's unemployment relief scheme, he will state the principles on which the grant is allocated; how many holders paying less than £50 of rent have received a grant; how many holders with a rental of £50-£l00 have received a grant; and how many with a rental of over £100; how many applicants have been successful in obtaining a grant in each of the past three years; how many have been successful in two out of the three past years; how many have been successful in one year out of the past three; how many have been disappointed in each of the past three years; and what sums were paid in each of the last three years to occupiers of land in each county in Scotland?

Sir J. GILM0UR

With regard to the first part of the question the grants under the current scheme have been allocated, primarily, in those parts of the country where unemployment is most acute; and further, in accordance with the conditions of the scheme, a preference has been given, as far as possible, to cases in which two or more parties combined to carry out a co-ordinated scheme of works. Elsewhere in the country the distribution of grants has been made so that with the limited funds available as many districts as possible might receive such a share as might be fully utilised in the employment of men out of work. With regard to the remainder of the question no discrimination was made in the matter of the value of the holdings occupied by applicants The guiding principle was the relief of unemployment and the applications of the smallholders had equal consideration with those of large farmers. In these circumstances I am not prepared to instruct the compilation of the whole of the detailed information desired by the hon. and gallant Member as its preparation would entail a large amount of wort which would be out of proportion to its utility.

The accompanying statement shows, however, for the last three schemes, particulars for each county of the amount of the grants offered.

SCHEMES OF LAND IMPROVEMENT AND DRAINAGE WORK FOR THE UNEMPLOYED.

Amount of Grants offered by the Board of Agriculture.
1922–23 1923–24 1924–25
Scheme. Scheme. Scheme.
£ £ £
Aberdeen 2,420 890 2,646
Argyll 9,971 7,210 3,354
Ayr 5,716 3,770 4,573
Banff 1,289 2,219 1,352
Berwick 1,328 925 1,135
Bute 1,176 1,073 392
Caithness 5,361 3,790 2,211
Clackmannan 166 156 156
Dumbarton 48 372
Dumfries 4,348 5,800 3,973
East Lothian 953 196 297
Fife 559 399 1,180
Forfar 1,417 267 977
Inverness 1,140 120 486
Kincardine 339 142 284
Kinross 72 299
Kirkcudbright 2,544 2,785 1,992
Lanark 1,584 222 1,805
Midlothian 209 265 393
Moray 1,010 2,139 1,714
Nairn 86
Orkney 407 219 146
Peebles 300 302 393
Perth 1,569 1,006 2,199
Renfrew 363 158 385
Ross 4,358 2,730 2,092
Roxburgh 1,080 1,274 2,082
Selkirk 915 546 356
Shetland 780 260 162
Stirling 3,328 1,422 2,110
Sutherland 2,776 2,014 1,258
West Lothian 282 89 50
Wigtown 4,596 2,737 2,558