HC Deb 25 January 1954 vol 522 cc1559-60

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—[Mr. Legh.]

8.50 p.m.

Sir Waldron Smithers (Orpington)

When I put my name down in Mr. Speaker's Office for the Adjournment I did not then know I should have an early opportunity of putting up a fight for the dispossessed farmers, as I had the privilege of doing last Tuesday. There is no need for me to repeat all the arguments I then used. It looks as though the House will get up early, and I do not want to detain the House any longer than I possibly can help. I would ask the Parliamentary Secretary to ask the Minister if he will re-read my speech of last Tuesday, and not only read it, but study it, and study all the implications. In all the 29 years I have been a Member of this House I have never been so convinced of the rightness of my case.

The Parliamentary Secretary in his speech that day twice asked me to study the facts. He said at one point that I should …study the facts more closely. He said a little later: I am quite certain that the kind of injustice that my hon. Friend thinks takes place is a complete illusion, and I ask him once again to study the facts and inform himself upon them."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 19th January, 1954; Vol. 522, c. 929–30.] But I have sent to the Minister literally scores of letters from farmers in the last few months, and I would ask my hon. Friend, does he really think they are all lying? In any case, they have no appeal to an independent court of law before a judge and jury. No; when my hon. Friend asks me to examine the facts I say to him that the boot is on the other foot. Qui s'excuse s'accuse. It is he and the Minister who will not study the facts.

Because of the scores of letters I have sent to him for many months we were able at last to compel the Minister to make a small concession, but whether the facts in all of these letters are correct or not those poor people still have no appeal to an English court of law on the facts and merits of their cases. Really, it makes the Minister of Agriculture virtually a dictator.

Since last Tuesday I have received many more letters from people who read in the Press what I said. I do not want to detain the House, but I want to quote one letter which is typical. When we think that this can be written in a free England by a farmer, an ex-Service man, it really gives us cause for deep thought. Here is the letter: R. Munday, Ltd., Cattle Hauliers and General Farmers, 51, Rosebery Street, Swindon.