§ 10.58 p.m.
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Sir Thomas Dugdale)I beg to move, in page 1, line 9, to leave out "if the scheme so provides."
This and the following two Amendments are made to fulfil an undertaking I gave to the right hon. Member for Belper (Mr. G. Brown) and other hon. Members during the Committee stage. The effect of the Amendments is to accept the principle of a similar group of Amendments tabled by the right hon. Member and other hon. Members. The effect in the Bill will be that in every scheme payment of a grant is conditional upon the carrying out of further operations like sowing, in addition to ploughing.
§ Mr. George Brown (Belper)I think it would be right if I began by thanking the Minister for having carried out so completely the undertaking he gave us during the Committee stage after the Parliamentary Secretary had told us at some considerable length why it was not a very good thing to do. On the other hand, I am not sure that the Minister should not have begun by thanking us. The courtesy and the custom is that we do the thanking, but the Bill now becomes a very much better thing in the end than the rather poor thing it was when he started, with it—although it would not be but for us. We shall not be using public money merely to get land ploughed up unless people are persuaded thereby to do something useful to the land, and unless the Minister has power to examine the cropping and way in which these conditions are carried out. We are glad the 2177 Amendment has been put down, and we hope the Minister will take rather more care in future Bills to see that they are in the right form.
§ 11.0 p.m.
§ Mr. Leslie Hale (Oldham, West)I hope I may join in the congratulations which we wish to extend to the Minister, because the debate on this Bill was an exceedingly pleasant one. I desire only to make one or two observations.
That debate was memorable for the fact that in the course of it two things became apparent, both of them exceedingly unexpected. First, both the Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary appeared to have some modest knowledge of their subject—an occasion unparalled in the history of the House over the last few months. The second was that the Minister treated the House with courtesy, and appeared to realise that he was addressing the House of Commons, and sought a spirit of co-operation and direction for a great industry.
I would only express the hope that if the Minister could tear himself away from his important duties for a few moments he might give lessons in deportment to some of his colleagues. Our debates would then be not only not so long, and indeed, if everyone behaved like the Minister we should be moving now to the Summer Adjournment.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Further Amendments made: In page 2, line 11, leave out from beginning, to "in," in line 12, and insert "A grant under this Act."
§ In line 14, leave out "the grant."—[Sir T. Dugdale.]
§ Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.