Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 April 1948.
Mr George Odey
, Howdenshire
12:00,
19 April 1948
asked the Minister of Agriculture why he has not entrusted the cultivation of Holme Moor R.A.F. to Mr. Loftus, a competent farmer who has all along been the tenant of the Church commissioners.
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
The East Riding Agricultural Executive Committee, as my agents, were directly responsible for arranging for the cultivation of this airfield to secure maximum food production. They decided, after full consideration of all the circumstances, that the best course was for them to cultivate the land themselves, and I am satisfied that they were justified in so deciding.
Mr George Odey
, Howdenshire
What conceivable grounds can there be for depriving a competent farmer of his land and of part of his livelihood?
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
Again I do not accept the assumption behind the hon. Gentleman's question. The farmer's livelihood has not been endangered by the R.A.F. taking over this area of land. Now that a portion of it is available temporarily, the county executive committee thought that they were the best body to ensure that the maximum use for food production would be made of it.
Mr George Odey
, Howdenshire
How can that possibly be so in view of the fact that some 200 acres of land were requisitioned to form this aerodrome and that the land had been cultivated by Mr. Loftus who is a tenant of the Church commissioners?
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
That is true, but my reports are not to the effect that the land was cultivated as land ought to be cultivated in 1948.
Matters concerning the established Church of England are dealt with at Question Time by a parliamentary representative of the church commissioners.
The church commissioner's role is to answer any parliamentary questions relating to the Church of England in the same way that a government minister may face questions about a particular government department.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner is appointed by the crown and is traditionally a backbench member of the party in government. The appointment lasts for the duration of the Parliament.
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.
