§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that land purchased by the borough council of Ealing as recently as 1927 for the express purpose of being utilised as permanent allotments at Framfield Road, Hanwell, and for which a loan of £3,075 was sanctioned and raised, is now proposed to be appropriated for housing and the allotment holders served with notice to quit; whether the sanction of the Minister, as required by Section 8 of the Allotments Act, 1925, has been given for the proposed user of the land; is he aware that there is other land available for housing in the immediate neighbourhood; and, in these circumstances, has he refused his consent or taken other steps to prevent the allotments being destroyed, seeing that they have been acquired with public money so recently for the express purpose of being permanent allotments?
§ Mr. N. BUXTONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Under Section 8 of the Allotments Act, 1925, the council's proposals cannot be carried into effect without my consent, after consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, and a decision in the matter will be communicated to the council and to the other parties interested at an early date.