§ 51. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Agriculture how much of the Supplementary Estimate of £100,000 for salaries and of £90,000 for travelling expenses is due to expenses incurred by officials of his Department and of the county executive committees in inspection of farms and smallholdings.
§ Sir T. DugdaleThe inspection of agricultural holdings for the purposes of Part II of the Agriculture Act, 1947, and of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948, is undertaken by members of county agricultural executive committees, who are by no means always accompanied by officials. It is impossible to say how much of the salaries and travelling expenses of officials arises from this work, but I should expect it to be very small.
§ Sir W. SmithersMay I ask the Minister if he will say how long a Conservative Minister in a once free country is going on spending public money on dictatorial methods of inspection and despotic methods of dispossession of subjects of Her Majesty the Queen without any right of appeal being given?
§ Sir T. DugdaleThat is an entirely different question.