Clause 75
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [Lords]
9:00 am
Henry Bellingham (Shadow Minister, Constitutional Affairs; North West Norfolk, Conservative)
I should like to put a couple of points to the Minister on clause 75. I had an e-mail from the National Farmers Union in which Barney Holbeche, its chief parliamentary adviser, wrote:
“We are surprised that an agricultural holdings provisionhas crept in to a Bill of this kind. Detailed issues concerning agricultural holdings law have been under review by a Defra-approved cross-industry working group called TRIG (Tenancy Reform Industry Group). TRIG produced proposals recently for modest changes to the law which the Government implemented by way of a Regulatory Reform Order. The curious thing is that so far as we know the application of CRAR in relation to agricultural holdings has not been referred to TRIG for farming industry discussion as it should have been.”
Surely the Minister should have had proper consultations with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the clause? The NFU is slightly concerned, but points out that
“it is unlikely that rent recovery procedures would be much used in agriculture. This is because a tenant who cannot pay his rent on time would usually reach an amicable agreement with his landlord, knowing that if he failed to pay the rent on time he would be in breach of his tenancy.”
Anyone who knows anything about the farming industry knows that if someone is in breach of their tenancy, they are in danger of losing their home and business. Therefore, it is unlikely that the procedure would apply to an agricultural tenancy, but it is possible. There is also concern about lack of consultation. Will the Minister write to me in due course to explain the situation?