§ 6. Mr. Godman Irvineasked the Minister of Defence how much land is still held by Service Departments in England and Wales; what acreage has been sold or returned to farmer occupiers since 1945; how much land in the occupation of Service Departments is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was originally requisitioned or bought; and what steps are taken to ensure that such land is made available for alternative development, or restoration to agriculture, when no longer required.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Service Departments today hold some 800,000 acres in the United Kingdom, including 720,000 acres in England and Wales, whereas in 1945 they held, or had temporary use of, over 6½ million acres.
361 Separate records are not kept of the amount sold or returned to farmer occupiers.
Service Departments do not retain land unless it is required for defence purposes. Every effort is made to de-requisition or dispose, as quickly as possible, of land when it is no longer required.
§ Mr. Godman IrvineWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the Select Committee on Estimates made a Report on the administration of Service lands in 1958? It made certain recommendations for improving the administration. His predecessor rejected the majority of those recommendations. In view of the general concern about this, will he now have another look at it?
§ Mr. WatkinsonAs my hon. Friend asks me to, I shall be only too pleased to have another look at the whole matter, because, as he will see from a subsequent Answer, we are very anxious to return as much land as we can.
§ Mr. de FreitasWill the Minister treat this most seriously, in view of the recent decision of the Government to hand land held by the Air Ministry over to a private firm instead of handing it over to its owners?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThat is quite a different question.
§ 7. Mr. Godman Irvineasked the Minister of Defence whether, in view of the concern felt by many farmers about the ease with which their land can be acquired for development in the national interest while large areas of land under the control of Service Departments appear to be fulfilling no useful purpose, he will initiate a survey of all land in the occupation of Service Departments, with a view to the release to agriculture, for development purposes, of land which proves no longer to be essential for service needs.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe land holdings of the Service Departments are constantly scrutinised. Those surplus to short-term requirements are let for agricultural or other uses. Land which is no longer required in the long term is derequisitioned or sold.