§ 24. Mr. Haymanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the movement of farm rents since the passing of the Agriculture Act, 1958.
§ Mr. John HareThe movement cannot be assessed over so short a period as six months.
§ Mr. HaymanWill the Minister take into account the fact that where two parties failed to agree upon an application by the owner for a 30 per cent. rent increase the arbitrator appointed by his Department awarded a 50 per cent. increase? Can we take it that that represents the policy of the Government?
§ Mr. HareIt is not fair to draw any comparison here. As the House realises, I have no information about arbitrators appointed by agreement, but the arbitrators appointed by me have made only two awards under the 1958 Act. One cannot generalise from such small numbers.
§ Mr. WilleyThe right hon. Gentleman will be as aware as we are that rents are rising? Will he institute an inquiry and a survey in order to keep us informed of the extent to which rents do rise?
§ Mr. HareI shall certainly give the House all the information available to me, but I should have thought that the best thing to do would be to continue the present arrangements, which will yield figures comparable with those for previous years.