§ 26. Mr. E. L. Mallalieuasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will appoint a committee independent of his Department to inquire into the reliability of the information given him by the Dorset Agricultural Executive Committee as to the fulfilment by the landlord of Vimy Farm, Corscombe, Dorset, of his obligations to supply fixed equipment adequate for the economical management of the farm.
The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. W. M. F. Vane)No, Sir. As stated in the reply given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Dorset, West (Mr. Wingfield Digby) on 5th May, the complaints made by the tenant of this farm have been gone into exhaustively in the past. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that no useful purpose would be served by inquiring into them again.
§ Mr. MallalieuIs the hon. Member aware, first, that the allegation made by the tenant is that the county executive committee, under the influence of the landlord, has refused to recommend that the landlord should be obliged to provide the necessary fixed equipment; secondly, that anyone visiting the farm can see for himself that that equipment has not been provided, and, thirdly, that there has never been an inquiry impartial in the sense that it was unconnected with the parties against whom the allegations were made?
Mr. VaneI do not think that the hon. and learned Member is quite right in his last point, which is the most important one. After this grievance was reviewed on numerous occasions it was considered in 1959 by the Agricultural Land Tribunal, which is certainly entirely independent of the Agriculture Departments, and the Tribunal rejected the tenant's claim.