HC Deb 13 May 1912 vol 38 c767
Mr. CHARLES BATHURST

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether, in view of the opposition to the Agricultural Holdings Bill, introduced by the Government in the House of Lords, widely expressed at the recent meeting of the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture and at meetings of other agricultural bodies throughout the country by tenant farmers, in whose supposed interests the Bill has been framed, the Government intend to proceed further with the measure?

The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)

No representations in opposition to the Bill have reached the Board.

Mr. C. BATHURST

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he took the opinion of any representative bodies of the tenant farmers before this Bill was introduced in another place?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

Acting on the representations which were made to me by the Departmental Committee which sat on the subject, as many of their direct representations as possible were put into the Bill.

Mr. C. BATHURST

Was not the only tenant farmer on that Committee opposed to this suggestion?