§ 55. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Agriculture how many acres, by counties, are, at the latest available date, under the control of or being farmed by the county agricultural committees.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsAs the reply necessarily contains a large number of figures I am circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir W. SmithersCan the Minister say how many of these acres now farmed by agricultural committees were taken by force from dispossessed farmers?
§ Mr. WilliamsNot without notice.
§ Sir W. SmithersWill the right hon. Gentleman tell me if I give him notice?
§ Following is the reply:
| ACREAGE BY COUNTIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER THE CONTROL OF OR BEING FARMED BY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES, ON 31ST DECEMBER, 1947. | |||
| County. | Acres. | ||
| Bedford | … | … | 5,544 |
| Berks | … | … | 2,885 |
| Bucks. | … | … | 6,377 |
| Cambridge | … | … | 13,228 |
| Cheshire | … | … | 6,663 |
| Cornwall | … | … | 6,607 |
| Cumberland | … | … | 5,696 |
| Derby | … | … | 2,979 |
| Devon | … | … | 9,955 |
| Dorset | … | … | 4,480 |
| Durham | … | … | 3,378 |
| Essex | … | … | 41,743 |
| Gloucester | … | … | 15,287 |
| Hereford | … | … | 3,353 |
| Hertford | … | … | 9,159 |
| Huntingdon | … | … | 7,696 |
| Isle of Ely | … | … | 2,403 |
| Isle of Wight | … | … | 307 |
| Kent | … | … | 18,836 |
| Lancashire | … | … | 3,144 |
| Leicester | … | … | 6,684 |
| Lincoln (Holland) | … | … | 371 |
| Lincoln (Kesteven) | … | … | 5,945 |
| Lincoln (Lindsey) | … | … | 12,092 |
| Middlesex | … | … | 3,296 |
| Norfolk | … | … | 16,132 |
| Northampton | … | … | 5,895 |
| Northumberland | … | … | 26,838 |
| Nottingham | … | … | 9,644 |
| Oxford | … | … | 4,057 |
| Rutland | … | … | 5,250 |
| Shropshire | … | … | 3,332 |
| Soke of Peterborough | … | … | 2,053 |
| Somerset | … | … | 9,959 |
| Southampton | … | … | 12,529 |
| Stafford | … | … | 3,906 |
| Suffolk (East) | … | … | 11,219 |
| Suffolk (West) | … | … | 14,457 |
| Surrey | … | … | 12,722 |
| Sussex (East) | … | … | 19,304 |
| Sussex (West) | … | … | 13,009 |
| Warwick | … | … | 13,960 |
| Westmorland | … | … | 4,591 |
| Wiltshire | … | … | 9,957 |
| Worcester | … | … | 4,274 |
| Yorkshire (East Riding) | … | … | 6,272 |
| Yorkshire (North Riding) | … | … | 6,947 |
| Yorkshire (West Riding) | … | … | 7,499 |
| Wales | |||
| Anglesey | … | … | 848 |
| Brecknock | … | … | 3,024 |
| Cardigan | … | … | 1,730 |
| Carmarthen | … | … | 5,577 |
| Caernarvon | … | … | 7,934 |
| County. | Acres. | ||
| Denbigh | … | … | 4,350 |
| Flint | … | … | 749 |
| Glamorgan | … | … | 1,700 |
| Merioneth | … | … | 1,620 |
| Monmouth | … | … | 2,996 |
| Montgomery | … | … | 7,294 |
| Pembroke | … | … | 10,217 |
| Radnor | … | … | 4,390 |
| TOTAL AGREAGE | … | … | 474,343 |
§ Notes:—
- 1. The above figures cover:
- (a) Land held under requisition by committees (including land on which the requisition has been transferred from a Service Department): 357,197 acres;
- (b) Land requisitioned or owned by Service Departments, but being cultivated under arrangements made with Committees: 114,966 acres;
- (c) Former grassland improvement stations under lease to the Minister: 2,180 acres.
- 2. Of the total of 474,343 acres, some 257,040 acres are being farmed direct by committees and the remainder has been let.
§ 56. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent farms under the control of county war agricultural committees are subjected to independent periodical examination; by whom; and how often.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsLand being farmed by the committees is not subject to independent periodical inspection.
§ Sir W. SmithersWhy is the land which is being farmed by agricultural committees not subject to inspection, to see that the committees comply with the principles of good husbandry, in exactly the same way as private farmers, who have been dispossessed, where inspected, have been dispossessed because it was said that they did not comply with those principles?
§ Mr. WilliamsI do not see the wisdom of setting up inspectors to inspect the inspectors.
58. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Agriculture the size of the war agricultural executive committees throughout England and Wales as at 1st January, 1948, giving the total number of members who are paid officials; and if he will give an approximate figure of the travelling allowances paid for the 12 months 1st January, 1947, to 1st January, 1948.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsPaid staff of county agricultural executive committees totalled 661 3,300 technical and administrative staff and 6,600 clerks and typists on 1st January, 1948. The estimated expenditure on travelling and subsistence by members and staff of committees for the period 1st January to 31st December, 1947, is £605,000.
Mr. De la BèreIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these figures require a good deal of thought, and that I shall ask a supplementary question on his answer when I have had the time to consider them?