Farm Tenants (Experience)

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture – in the House of Commons at on 20 April 1944.

Alert me about debates like this

Under existing emergency legislation it is provided that where the tenant of an agricultural holding receives from or gives to his landlord notice to terminate his tenancy, the landlord must inform the war agricultural executive committee within one month of giving or receiving the notice. This enables the executive committee to ensure that proper arrangements are made for the farming of the land at the expiration of the notice to quit. With regard to the second part of the Question, my hon. Friend is probably aware that under emergency legislation it is provided that where the whole or any part of an agricultural holding has been or is sold since the outbreak of war, any notice to quit the holding given to the tenant is null and void unless my consent is given. This has proved an effective deterrent against speculation in agricultural land. It does not, of course, cover cases of sales of their holdings by owner/occupiers, but I consider that the powers already possessed by executive committees with regard to taking possession of land and service of directions on occupiers are sufficient to ensure proper cultivation in such cases of transfer.