§ Mr. SKELTONasked (1) the Secretary for Mines whether he has made any investigations as to whether persons unemployed in the mining industry can successfully be settled on the land in England, Scotland, and Wales;
(2) the Minister of Labour whether he has made any investigations as to whether persons unemployed in urban industries can successfully be settled on the land in England, Scotland, and Wales?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI have been asked to reply. No formal investigations have been made as to whether persons unemployed in the mining industry or in other urban occupations can be successfully settled on the land in this country. During the last 20 years, however, a considerable number of men with little or 657W no previous agricultural experience have been provided with small holdings, of whom a proportion have proved successful and established themselves on the land. As I explained in reply to questions on the 9th instant, the question is almost entirely one of finance. So long as the money available for land settlement in this country is closely restricted, it appears to me to be imperative to limit the provision of small holdings to applicants who possess the necessary experience and farming capital.