Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 9 December 1929.
Mr. FRANK OWEN:
58.asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will introduce legislation requiring county councils to let small holdings at the same agricultural rent per acre as they paid before they were taken over for small holdings?
Viscount Elmley
, Norfolk Eastern
asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will introduce a Measure to acquire land wherever possible for letting to smallholders at a fair rent?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
Statutory powers already exist whereby county councils can acquire land for letting to smallholders at fair rents. In cases where no additional equipment is provided, councils have power to let land at the same rent per acre as was paid before it was taken over for small holdings.
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
The rents are fair in relation to the equipment that has to be provided in connection with the land.
Mr. OWEN:
59.asked the Minister of Agriculture if the 115 small holdings provided for in the approved schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture this year constitute the limit of the policy of the Ministry in this direction for this year?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
No, Sir. Since the figure mentioned was given to the House a month ago, further schemes submitted by county councils have been approved which will provide an additional 25 holdings, making 140 in all. I regret that many of the county councils and councils of county boroughs, who are the authorities responsible for the provision of small holdings, have not been more active. The Ministry does not itself possess powers for the acquisition of land for the purpose.
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
That is another question.
Mr Herbert Samuel
, Darwen
Is the inactivity of the local authorities due in any degree to difficulty in obtaining capital from loans from the Treasury authorities in order to purchase this land?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
No, Sir.
Mr. OWEN:
60.asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that there are 9,327 applicants still unprovided with small holdings; and whether he proposes to make any provision for them?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
The figure quoted includes 3,782 applications which have been either withdrawn or rejected as unsuitable. I regret that the ample powers possessed by county councils and councils of county boroughs for the provision of small holdings for their approved applicants are not more widely used, and I am prepared to offer the councils the fullest financial assistance possible withing the limit of the Ministry's statutory powers. As I have just stated, the Ministry itself has no power to acquire land for the provision of small holdings.
Mr Harry Day
, Southwark Central
Will the right hon. Gentleman communicate with the county councils and suggest to them that they adopt that procedure?
Mr Joseph Alpass
, Bristol Central
Could not the object of the hon. Member who put this question be more readily secured by changing the representation on the county council?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
