HC Deb 06 February 1940 vol 357 cc180-2

Considered in Committe, under Standing Order 69.

[Sir Dennis Herbert in the Chair.]

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to make certain amendments in the law relating to agriculture and agricultural land in connection with the present war (hereafter in this resolution referred to as 'the new Act'), it is expedient to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of—

  1. (1) such sums as may be necessary to enable the Wheat Commission to discharge, during the period for which quota payments under the Wheat Acts, 1932 and 1939, are suspended by the new Act, their functions under those Acts as amended by the new Act, subject, however, to the pro visions of Sub-section (6) of Section ten of the Wheat Act, 1932;
  2. (2) any such increase in—
    1. (a) the sums which are authorised to be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament by virtue of Part I, Part II or Part IV of the Agriculture Development Act, 1939; and
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    2. (b) the expenses incurred for the purposes of those Parts of that Act which are authorised to be so defrayed by Section thirty-three of that Act;
    as is attributable to the amendments made in those Parts of that Act by the new Act;
  3. (3) grants towards expenditure incurred—
    1. (a) by Catchment Boards in preparing and carrying out schemes for draining agricultural land which is not within any drainage district other than a catchment area; and
    2. (b) by any person in carrying out schemes for draining agricultural land by mole drainage;
    and any such increase in the grants payable under Section fifty-five of the Land Drainage Act, 1930, or Section fifteen of the Agriculture Act, 1937, as is attributable to the provisions of the new Act conferring powers on drainage authorities to repair, maintain, alter and remove dams, and requiring them to pay compensation in respect thereof;
  4. (4) any expense incurred by the Secretary of State under the provisions of the new Act relating to the cleansing or scouring of watercourses in Scotland (so far as not recovered in accordance with the said provisions), and in making grants in respect of expense incurred by or recoverable from owners of land under those provisions;
  5. (5) any such increase in the sums payable by way of compensation under the Compensation (Defence) Act, 1939, as is attributable to the extension of the definition of 'emergency powers' in that Act so as to include powers conferred by the new Act to continue in possession of land of which possession has been taken under regulations made under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939;
  6. (6) any expenses incurred by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries or the Secretary of State in connection with the provision of goods or services (in accordance with arrangements made with the consent of the Treasury) to persons requiring them for agricultural purposes;
  7. (7) any such increase in the contributions payable in accordance with the Land Fertility Scheme out of moneys provided by Parliament as is attributable to the provisions of the new Act extending Part I of the Agriculture Act, 1937, to any land wholly or mainly cultivated for the production of vegetables or fruit;
and to authorise the payment into the Exchequer of sums retained out of the proceeds of any sale of livestock forfeited under any regulations made by virtue of the provisions of the new Act relating to the importation of livestock."—(King's Recommendation signified.)—[Sir S. Hoare.]

10.43 p.m.

Mr. Loftus

Before this Resolution is passed I should like to ask whether it will be possible later, on the Committee stage of the Bill, to amend Clause 24, so as to include advances for the purchase of livestock. I ask this—

The Chairman

That is not in order on this Question.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolution to be reported To-morrow.