§ 69. Mr. Dyeasked the Minister of Agriculture why the Norfolk Smallholdings Committee was not consulted in letting land attached to the airfield at Ludham, which was previously requisitioned from them; and why has land under the ownership of the county smallholdings committee been let to tenants of other estates while the committee has a long waiting list of applicants.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsThis airfield, like many others was made temporarily available to my Department for agricultural use pending final decisions as to its future. In view of this uncertainty it would have 829 been impracticable to have let the land in the form of smallholdings, more particularly as the buildings required would not have been available. The Norfolk War Agricultural Executive Committee, therefore, arranged short-term tenancies to enable the land to be cropped this year.
§ Mr. DyeIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this land was previously occupied by the smallholdings committee? Why was that committee not consulted when it was handed back?
§ Mr. WilliamsSurely, the hon. Member must be aware of the urgency of food production this year, and that it was hardly the right moment to start laying out smallholdings, especially where buildings were necessary.
§ Mr. Charles WilliamsWere not these smallholdings of economic value? Why are the Government attacking smallholdings?
§ Mr. WilliamsThe Government are not only not attacking smallholdings, but in this matter they are doing no more than was done by the last Government when they set out to produce more food.