Farm Rents (Hansard, 29 July 1964)

§ 23. Mr. Emrys Hughes
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to help Scottish farmers, especially those in the Border counties, whose rents have recently been increased.

§ Mr. Noble
No, Sir. Farm rents are fixed by agreement between the parties or, failing such agreement, by arbitration, and I see no reason to alter the existing statutory provisions.

§ Mr. Hughes
Does not the Secretary of State realise that one of the outstanding achievements of this Government, not mentioned in the Prime Minister's speeches, is the greatly increased rents being paid by farmers? Would it not be a splendid example for the owner of 60,000 acres to go to the country before the election and to show his genuine interest in agriculture and farmers and reduce his rents?

§ Mr. Noble
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would be against gimmicks of that sort before the election.

§ Sir J. Duncan
Has my right hon. Friend any figures to show the average increase in rents in Scotland in the last few years, bearing in mind that the costs of buildings and repairs and so on have gone up by 400 per cent.? Is it not in the reasonable interests of tenants themselves that landlords should be able to charge rents which at least cover the enormously increased cost of repairs which are done by landlords?

§ Mr. Noble
I am afraid that I cannot give my hon. Friend the exact figures for recent years, but there is no doubt that I get just as many complaints in my Department about rents being too high as I do about rents being too low, so probably we have it about right. At present rents account for about 6 per cent. of the total structure of farm expenses, which is not a high figure.

§ Mr. Ross
Regarding the existing statutory provisions which enable increases to be made, can the Secretary of State say which Government introduced them, and when?

§ Mr. Noble
I do not think that it matters very much which Government introduced them, although I have often given the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends credit for the 1947 Act.

§ Mr. Emrys Hughes
On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Secretary of State's reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise this matter immediately during the election campaign.