886 



Questions in Parliament. 



[Dec, 



QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT. 



Arable Cultivation.— In reply to Mr. Eoyce, the Parliamentary 

 Secretary to the Ministry stated that information as to the acreage of arable 

 land in the whole of the United Kingdom in 1920 was not available, but that 

 the acreage of land under arable cultivation in England and Wales on 

 4th June, 1920, was 12,020,000 acres, 289,000 acres less than a year 

 earlier, and 379,000 acres less than on the 4th June, 1918. He added that 

 the area of land under arable cultivation at 4th June, 1920, was 1,022,000 

 acres greater than at 4th June, 1914, when the total was 10,998,000 acres. 

 (1st November, 1920.) 



Wheat Production.— In reply to Mr, Cape, the Parliamentary Secretary 

 to the Ministry stated that the returns of the production of wheat this year 

 were not available for the whole of the United Kingdom, but that the 

 estimated production in England and Wales was 6,677,000 quarters. 

 The average annual quantity used for seed in the past 10 years was estimated 

 at about 750,000 quarters. (1st November, 1920.) 



Foot-and-Mouth Disease.— In reply to Major D. Davies, the 

 Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry stated that the prolonged inquiry had 

 failed to establish any relation between imported packing material and the 

 numerous invasions of Foot-and-Mouth Disease which had occurred. The 

 importation of hay and straw from all European countries, except Norway, 

 was already prohibited, with certain exceptions, which included hay and straw 

 actually used for packing merchandise. The Departmental Committee on 

 Foot-and-Mouth Disease, in its report dated May, 1912, stated that it recognised 

 that packing straw constituted a source of danger, but that, in view of the 

 serious dislocation of general trade which such action would entail, the 

 Committee was not prepared to advise its prohibition until there was further 

 evidence against it. In the absence of any evidence connecting the outbreak 

 of Foot-and-Mouth Disease with packing materials, the Ministry was not 

 prepared to consider the prohibition of the importation of hay and straw in 

 every form. (27th October, 1920.) 



Land Settlement of Ex-Service Men.— In reply to a question by 

 Mr. Wintringham, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry stated that the 

 number of men actually settled and in possession of their holdings under the 

 Land Settlement Acts was 8,314, of whom 7,610 had been settled by County 

 Councils, and 704 on the Ministry's farm settlements. In addition, sufficient 

 land had already been acquired to settle a further 8,866 men as soon as it 

 eould be equipped and made available. The total number of applications 

 received was 43,175, of whom 24,474 had been approved. The total number 

 of acres acquired was 257,859. He stated that he could not give complete 

 figures of expenditure on land purchased, but as regards 219,604 acres, of 

 which he had returns, the cost was £9,315,000, or £42 per acre. He had no 

 information of the advances made by County Councils, but 25 advances had 

 been made by the Ministry, totalling £3,640. (21st October, 1920.) 



In reply to Capt. Coote, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry stated 

 that it was not correct to say that the moneys voted by Parliament for the 

 purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Land Settlement Act were about 

 to be exhausted, or that it had cost £20,000,000 to put about 9,000 men on the 

 land. The land already acquired, namely, 259,489 acres, would cost, when 

 fully equipped, about £15,000,000 for purchase, buildings, roads, water supply. 



