HC Deb 14 August 1919 vol 119 cc1782-4

The powers conferred upon a tenant for life by the Settled Land Acts, 1882 to 1890, shall include the following further power:

A power at any time, or times, to make a grant or grants of any part or parts of the settled land in fee simple or absolutely, or a lease or leases for any term of years

Provided that, except under an Order of the Court, no more than two acres altogether in any one parish shall be granted or leased under this power for the purpose of the said Small Holdings and Allotments Acts or under the similar power conferred by the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, for the purpose of the

Lords Amendment:

Leave out the word "altogether"["two acres altogether"], and insert instead thereof the words, "In the case of land situate in an urban district or ten acres in the case of land situate in a rural district."

Sir A. BOSCAWEN

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

This deals with a deed of gift of land for small holdings and brings the Clause into line with a similar Clause in the Housing Act passed this year.

Question put, and agreed to.

SECOND SCHEDULE.
MINOR AMENDMENTS OF PRINCIPAL ACT.
Provision of the Principal Act to be amended Amendment.
Section: 43 … … For the word "may" there shall be substituted the word "shall."
Lords Amendment: After the word "shall," paragraph (a), Section 43, insert:
Section 46 … … In Sub-section (1) after the word "do" there shall be inserted the words or such shorter notice as may be required by the Order for the compulsory hiring of the land."
Sir A. BOSCAWEN

I beg to move "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

When the Bill was being considered on Report I indicated to my hon. Friend opposite that I would endeavour in another place to have an Amendment inserted enabling us more easily to deal with the case of building land which was required for allotments. It was pointed out that there might be cases where the land was ripe, or nearly ripe, for building, and where it would be a great advantage to take at least one crop provided there was a ready means whereby possession could be obtained quickly for the purposes of building. The difficulty under the present Act is that where the land is hired compulsorily for allotments it can only be reclaimed for building purposes by giving twelve months' notice. I undertook to see whether anything could be done in another place to get rid of that difficulty, and this Amendment was inserted in the other place at the request of the Government. It enables the Board to fix, after notice, a period of less than twelve months under which land may be got back for building or other purposes.

Mr. A. WILLIAMS

I brought forward this matter in Committee, and I beg to thank the Government for trying to meet the point I made. I am not at all sure, however, that they have met it, but I do not propose to ask the House to take objection. I cannot see but this will still leave the landlord very unwilling to let his land for this purpose, because it will be incumbent upon him, as I understand it, to make compensation to the tenant for unexhausted plants, and so on,- if he requires it back for other building purposes. I know there are compulsory powers to take it, but at the same time the unwillingness of the landlord is a very important factor, and will, I am afraid, tend very much to pre-

vent this building land coming into use. The proposal I made was a better one, I think, on the whole. At the same time the Government is the Government, and if this is the way they propose to deal with the matter I can only say I hope it will be a success.

Question put, and agreed to.