Mr. Marknamasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the statutory allotments committee of the Nottingham Corporation, appointed under Section 14 of the Allotments Act, 1922, as amended by Section 12 of the Allotments Act, 1925, is not allowed to function; and what steps he proposes to take in order to ensure that this Corporation conforms with the provisions of the Acts referred to?
§ Mr. Ramsbotham:I have been asked to reply. It is true that the sections of the Allotments Acts referred to provide for the setting up by the Nottingham Corporation of a Statutory Allotments Committee to deal with all matters relating to the exercise and performance by the council of their powers and duties under the Allotments Acts as regards the provision of allotment gardens (except the power of raising a rate or borrowing money). Such a Committee has been set up, but my right hon. Friend understands that as the majority of the allotment gardens provided by the Corporation, extending to about 470 acres, are on land acquired under powers other than those contained in the Allotments Acts, they are in practice managed by the Corporation's Estates Committee. My right hon. Friend has suggested to the Corporation that they should arrange for the Statutory Committee to deal with all the allotment gardens provided by the Corporation, but they have presumably not seen fit to do so, and my right hon. Friend has no powers of compulsion.