§ 11. Mr. Snowasked the Minister of Agriculture if he will introduce legislation to amend Section 80 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, so as to permit investigation by Members of Parliament into allegations of under-employment on farms and where agricultural workers are evicted 642 from agricultural subsidised council houses because of their inability to find employment in agriculture.
§ Sir T. DugdaleNo, Sir. I am not satisfied that such an amendment is necessary or desirable. The information collected under Section 78 of the Agriculture Act is required and used mainly for statistical purposes; and although Section 80 permits its disclosure for a few very limited purposes I consider it is important that farmers should feel assured that the information they give is treated as confidential save in these exceptional circumstances.
§ Mr. SnowIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that, while everybody agrees that the interests of the farmer must be protected, the interests of the agricultural worker must also be protected? Further, is he aware that, because I have been unable to get some information from him about two farms in my constituency, I must repeat to him, in the House, the allegation that two farms in my constituency, known as Pessal Pits and Broadfields Farms, alleged to be of approximately an aggregate of 800 acres, are alleged to employ only a total of five or six men; that men are not able to secure agricultural employment locally and that they are being evicted by the Lichfield Rural District Council because they have to leave agriculture?
§ Sir T. DugdaleI do not think that that is a question for this House. It is more a question for the Agricultural Executive Committee under Part II of the Agricultural Act.