Clause 18. — (Aged Crofters.)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 29 March 1955.

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Photo of Mr William Snadden Mr William Snadden , Kinross and West Perthshire 12:00, 29 March 1955

I beg to move, in page 18, line 42, at the end, to insert: (4) Where a conveyance in feu has been granted under this section the person to whom it is granted and the wife or husband of that person shall, so long as either of them continues to occupy the subjects conveyed, continue to enjoy any right to cut and take peats for the use of those subjects which they enjoyed when the authorisation aforesaid was granted. This Amendment is to meet a point which was raised by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) during the Committee stage. It is to enable an aged crofter who gives up his croft to have such rights of peat banks and access as may seem reasonable to the Commission. The hon. Member suggested that such provision might be put in the feu charter. I told him that although his Amendment was not acceptable in the form in which he moved it, we would accept the principle and endeavour to meet his point. We have done that in this Amendment, which retains for the aged crofter and his wife the right to cut peat so long as they continue to occupy the house. These words fulfil the object which the hon. Member had in mind.