Mr. Johnstonasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether he can bring down to the latest convenient date the figures indicating the extent of public ownership of the land in England and Wales, supplied by his predecessor to the House on 19th November, 1936;
(2) whether he can give figures, to the latest convenient date, showing the extent of public ownership of the land in Scotland on the lines of the statement supplied 1625W by his predecessor to the House on 19th November, 1936?
§ Captain WallaceLand in the ownership of local public authorities, the Forestry Commission, and other Departments of State:
1626W
England and Wales. Acres. Local Public Authorities: County Councils and County Borough Councils: For purposes of small holdings at 31st December, 1937) 411,180 Local Authorities: For purposes of allotments: Urban areas (at 31st December, 1937) 14,598 Rural areas (at 31st December, 1934) 8,289 (In addition, 7,192 acres of land owned by urban local authorities for other public purposes were in use at 31st December, 1937, as allotments, and 227 acres of land owned by rural local authorities for other public purposes were in use at December, 1934, as allotments.) County Councils: For purposes of agricultural education—in respect of which grant is paid from Ministry 6,800 (Excluding certain small demonstration plots, sites of houses, etc., which in the aggregate would not total more than 100 acres.) Admiralty 9,780 (Does not include foreshores, nor land which, though held for naval purposes, is vested in other Departments.) Air Ministry 59,000 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 8,951 Crown Lands 224,000 Royal Parks (Office of Works) 5,620 Home Office 3,797 Forestry Commission 584,000 Commissioner for Special Areas (England and Wales) 1,284 War Office 223,336 Total 1,560,635 Scotland. Admiralty 2,740 Department of Agriculture 450,249 Air Ministry 9,000 Crown Lands 116,000 Forestry Commission 514,000 Prisons 920 Commissioner for Special Areas (Scotland) 1,894 War Office 13,266 Royal Parks (Office of Works) 775 Total 1,108,844 Note.—The above figures do not cover land in the ownership of local authorities, except land held by them in England for agricultural education, small holdings, and allotments. The figures for the areas of public buildings under the jurisdiction of the Office of Works, and for certain small areas held by other Departments for special purposes, such as roads, are also excluded from this statement. These could not be supplied without disproportionate expenditure of time and labour. Certain foreshores are owned by the Commissioners for Crown Lands, the Admiralty, the War Office and the Board of Trade on behalf of the Crown. It is not possible to compute their area. In Scotland land held on feu is included in land owned.