HC Deb 22 July 1919 vol 118 cc1259-61

(1) Subject to the provisions of any regulations made by the Treasury, a county council may make or guarantee an advance by way of loan to any tenant of a small holding provided by the council under the principal Act, of such Bums as they think necessary for the purchase of live stock, fruit trees, seeds, fertilisers, and implements required for the purposes of the holding, and the making of such advances shall be included amongst the purposes for which the council may borrow under Section fifty-two of the principal Act.

Amendment made: After the word "guarantee" ["or guarantee"], insert the words "or undertake to make or guarantee-"— [Sir A. Boscawen]

Captain COOTE

I had given notice of an Amendment, after the word "Act" ["principal Act "], to insert the words or to any applicant for a small holding who is, in the opinion of the council, likely to prove a satisfactory tenant, but I believe the object has been largely covered by a previous Amendment of the Parliamentary Secretary. I should, however, like some form of words so that not only tenants under the principal Act., but the men who apply and arc approved by the county councils for small holdings, should have the same financial advantages as tenants under the principal Act. It seems to me that that is a very crucial, part of the whole scheme of land settlement. No one, least of all myself, will ask that any man without experience should be given suolfnnancia.1 assistance to settle on the land, but where you have an ex-soldier —

Sir A. BOSCAWEN

I do not think that I can accept the Amendment as it stands, but if he will agree to put in the words "or prospective tenant," after the word "tenant," I will meet him.

Captain COOTE

I beg to move, after the word "tenant," to insert the words "or prospective tenant."

Mr. L. SCOTT

I beg to second the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendment made: In Sub-section (2), after the word "guarantee," insert the words "or undertake to make or guarantee." — [Sir. A. Boscawen.]

Sir A. BOSCAWEN

I beg to move, at the end, to insert (3) The powers conferred by this Section shall be exercisable by the council or the Board only where, in the opinion if the council or the Board, as the case may be, the facilities for obtaining advances from a society on a cooperative basis are inadequate. This is one which 1 promised to move when a new Clause was withdrawn dealing with the question of co-operative societies making advances to tenants or prospective tenants for the purpose of stocking their small holdings. I pointed out that as a general rule the only practicable way of doing it would be by utilising our banking system and enabling county councils to guarantee overdrafts at banks, the tenant, of course, paying interest on the overdraft, but that where we could utilise the services of co-operative credit societies, of which a good many are springing up and which we all entirely approve of, we should do so. Therefore, I move the Amendment, which is to the effect that the councils shall only use this power of guaranteeing advances at banks where they are of opinion that facilities for obtaining advances from a co-operative society are inadequate. In all cases where adequate facilities exist we (hope to use them, but we must have other powers, because these facilities do not exist everywhere.

Amendment agreed to.