HC Deb 02 August 1926 vol 198 cc2771-2

Lords Amendment: In page 3, line 10, at the end, insert and in the case of a common grazing includes the committee appointed under the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts, 1886 to 1919, and the expression lease ' in relation to such common grazing includes Regulations made or approved by the Land Court under the said Acts.

Motion made, and Question proposed, " That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."—[The Lord Advocate.]

Mr. JOHNSTON

May we have an explanation as to what this Amendment means?

The LORD ADVOCATE

This Amendment is intended to make it perfectly clear that the power to make orders may apply to common grazings as well as to moorland. The Board of Agriculture is given power to regulate the burning on common grazings as well as on moorland, and the question of burning and the extension of the principle may be as valuable on common grazings as upon ordinary moors, and this can only be done under this Bill. All we do by this Amendment is to make it clear that we intend to extend the machinery to the case of common grazings as well as to moorland.

Mr. JOHNSTON

Are we to understand that the powers presently held by the Land Court are no longer to be held by the Land Court, but are being transferred to the Board of Agriculture?

The LORD ADVOCATE

No, Sir, certainly not. The Land Court has certain powers of control over common grazings under the Small Landholders Act. That is quite apart from the question of what is legitimate in the matter of muirburn. We are dealing with the matter of muirburn here, and we are allowing an extension of the period of muirburn and a relaxation of the conditions, under the ultimate control of the Board of Agriculture. It would, as I think the House will agree, be a mistake if we were not to include in the benefits of this Measure common grazings and, if we did not include it ,here, the Land Court would have no power to deal with it.

Question, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment," put, and agreed to.

The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.