§ Mr. CRAWFURDasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the acreage of agricultural land in England and Wales and what is the acreage of such land owned by county councils and other 283W public authorities; what is the number of owners of agricultural land in England and Wales; what is the number of persons owning 1,000 acres, or more, of such land and the acreage so held; and what is the number of persons occupying holdings of less than 50 acres, and the total acreage so held?
Mr. WOODThe area of agricultural land in England and Wales as returned on the 4th June, 1924, was 25,876,797 acres, and in addition there were 4,946,338 acres of rough grazings. I have no information as to the total acreage of agricultural land owned by county councils and public authorities, but the number of acres owned by county councils and councils of county boroughs under the Small Holdings Acts, 1908–1919 in England and Wales is 358,102. County councils also own 4,069 acres for the purposes of agricultural education. There is not, so far as I am aware, any information as to the number of owners of land later than the return made in 1873, but according to the returns made on 4th June last the number of holdings owned or mainly owned by occupiers of holdings upwards of one acre in extent was 94,236, while the numbers of holdings exceeding 300 acres owned or mainly owned by the occupiers was 3,671. As regards the last part of the question, the number of holdings in England and Wales on the 4th June last above one and not exceeding 50 acres was 268,330, and it is estimated that the total area of these holdings was about 4,100,000 acres.