§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement on the acreage, location and quality of the land in Scotland under the control or use of his Department which could otherwise be used for food production; and what steps he is taking to keep this acreage, location and quality, under review, in view of the need for maximum home production of food.
§ Mr. HeadMy Department controls some 41,000 acres of freehold, leasehold or requisitioned land in Scotland. The land is held mainly in small acreages in many parts of the country although there are five training areas at Stobs, Kirkcudbright, Gareloch, Barry Links and Dreg-horn of over 1,000 acres. The bulk of the land is grazing land, much of it rough pasture.
It is the Department's policy to let for cultivation or grazing as much land as possible consistent with military requirements and some 33,000 acres are so let in Scotland.
118WMy Department has the use of about 37,000 acres of land in Scotland under Defence Regulation 52, but except when training is actually taking place there is no interference with the normal use of this land.