HC Deb 04 July 1938 vol 338 cc20-2
30. Mr. T. Williams

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are taken by his Department to ascertain whether the best use is made of agricultural land; whether periodic inspections are made by inspectors or county agricultural committees; to whom their reports are submitted; and, further, to what extent he exercises power, and under what Statute, to insist that the best possible use is made of agricultural land?

42. Mr. De la Bère

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider setting up a committee of inquiry and research to report on the agricultural position throughout the country?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

Information is already available to me, both from my outdoor officers and from other sources, relating to the conditions of agriculture throughout the country, and I do not think, therefore, that any useful purpose would be served by the setting up of such a committee as is suggested by my hon. Friend. The information collected covers the use made of agricultural land, and confidential reports based on this information are submitted to me periodically. Inspections of individual estates, however, are not undertaken except in some cases for specific purposes, such as the administration of the statutory powers in relation to injurious weeds, which have been delegated to the county agricultural committees. As to the last part of the hon. Member's question, the policy of the Government is to give such assistance as it can to encourage the better use of the land, as is being done, for example, under the provisions of the Agriculture Act, 1937. It is not part of this policy, however, to use methods of compulsion.

Mr. T. Williams

Are we to understand from the reply of the right hon. Gentleman that, in spite of the fact that he has gone over vast areas of agricultural land, he is still of the opinion that the best use is being made of the land?

Mr. Morrison

I think that the question as to what is the best use of a particular part of agricultural land must be largely a matter of opinion and must vary with the economic conditions of the various commodities at different times. I am satisfied that the officers to whom I have referred give me sufficient information to enable me to keep in touch with the general situation.

Mr. Williams

In view of the rather large number of subsidies given to this industry and of the further preparations the right hon. Gentleman is now making, is it not the duty of himself and the Government to insist that the best possible use be made of our agricultural land?

Mr. Morrison

I think the only point of difference between the hon. Gentleman and myself is that we use the method of compulsion when it is necessary to get rid of injurious weeds, and that we do not use it in other cases; and that we endeavour by our policy to secure the best use of land.

31. Sir Percy Hurd

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that Sir Daniel Hall, the former chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture, has suggested that, inasmuch as a great part of the grassland which is officially designated as permanent pasture is now incapable of fertility even in time of emergency, a body on the lines of the Forestry Commission should be set up to use all available technical skill in bringing second-rate grassland into a productive state; and whether he proposes to take this or some alternative means to the same end?

Mr. Morrison

I would remind my hon. Friend that the improvement of grassland is one of the principal aims of the Government's agricultural policy, and substantial assistance to this end in the shape of grants for the purchase of lime and basic slag is being given under the provisions of the Agriculture Act, 1937. These measures have been supplemented by increased facilities for technical advice to farmers furnished through the cooperation of the county agricultural education authorities and the agricultural colleges, and I hope to take further steps to increase these facilities in the near future. The Government do not feel that the proposal made by Sir Daniel Hall is one which they could recommend to Parliament.

34. Mr. De la Bère

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give some figure as to the acreage of arable land which would fulfil the requirements of the Government's agricultural policy, and as to the number of agricultural workers on the land required to fulfil that policy?

Mr. Morrison

The Government's agricultural policy is designed to encourage the production of the maximum volume of food consistent with a reasonable financial return to the producer, while at the same time maintaining the fertility of the soil. My hon. Friend will appreciate that it is impossible to associate this aim with any particular figure of acreage of arable land or of agricultural workers employed on the land.

Mr. De la Bère

Does the Minister really mean to tell the House that the Government have no definite agricultural policy?

Mr. Morrison

I should not at all like to be understood in that sense. What I said was that you cannot define an agricultural policy in any precise terms of acres or numbers of workers.