HL Deb 17 March 1914 vol 15 cc514-6

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Earl of Camperdown.)

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD LUCAS)

When your Lordships gave this Bill a Second Reading I intimated, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, that it was their intention to make a subvention to local authorities, who administer the Small Holdings Act to cover the amount of the sinking fund upon land; and that, in our opinion, renders the principal part of the noble Earl's Bill unnecessary, as he proposes a different method of dealing with that sinking fund. I venture to suggest to the noble Earl whether, in these circumstances, his Bill is now worth proceeding with.

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

I was, of course, aware, from what the noble Lord said the other day, that His Majesty's Government are not in favour of this Bill. The noble Lord tells us that they are going to propose an amendment of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908. At the present time we do not know what that amendment is to be. Therefore it seems to me that I had far better go on with my Bill; and if hereafter the Government bring in a measure and it supersedes or is preferred to mine, then, of course my Bill would not proceed further. I apprehend that in any case if the Government do not give this Bill some facilities elsewhere it will not make any headway in the other House of Parliament. But I think that at present I had better pass this Bill through Committee and secure the Third Reading in this House.

VISCOUNT ST. ALDWYN

Can the noble Lord opposite state when it is likely that we shall know the proposals of the Government with reference to the subvention which he mentioned—whether they will be disclosed on the Budget or at what time and how?

LORD LUCAS

I am afraid I am not at present in a position to give the noble Viscount that information.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

As I understand that the subvention is only to deal with future payments of sinking fund, I should like to ask what is to be done for the unfortunate people who have been paying sinking fund all this time and have got nothing for it.

LORD LUCAS

We do not propose to make the subvention retrospective.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

Then these unfortunate tenants will lose their money?

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

It is quite clear that the Government do not realise the grievance that exists if they propose only to deal with the future. It seems to me that this Bill of mine or something very like it is required if you are to deal in an effectual manner with the position.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[The EARL OF DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.]

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2:

Rights of tenant of small holding.

2.—(1) If the county council without good and sufficient cause and for reasons inconsistent with good estate management gives to the tenant of a small holding notice to quit, the county council shall repay to such tenant, on his quitting the holding, the total amount then standing to his credit in the recoupment account.

(2). The tenant may at any time during his tenancy give to the county council six months notice in writing of his desire to purchase such holding (in this Act referred to as a "notice to purchase"), and if within such period the tenant pays to the council the difference between the total amount standing to his credit in the recoupment account and the sum necessary to recoup to the county council the cost of the acquisition of the said land and its adaptation as a small holding the council shall transfer the land to the tenant in fee simple.

(3) When the total amount credited to a tenant in the recoupment account is equal to the sum necessary to recoup to the county council the cost of the acquisition of the land leased to such tenant and the adaptation thereof as a small holding, the county council shall transfer such land to the tenant in fee simple.

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

The object of the new subsection which I move to add at the end of Clause 2 is to make it quite clear that the clause applies only to this sort of tenant.

Amendment moved—

Clause 2, page 2, line 15, after ("simple") insert the following new subsection:— (4) In this section "tenant" means "the tenant of a small holding provided by a county council under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908, where the rent payable by the tenant to the county council includes any instalment of principal intended to recoup to the county council the cost of the acquisition of the land and and of the adaptation thereof as a small holding."—(The Earl of Camperdown.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Clause 2, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

Title:

An Act to provide for the acquisition by tenants of small holdings in respect of which the rent includes instalments of capital expenditure received by county councils.

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

My Amendment to the Title is merely a drafting one. I propose to transpose certain words so that the Title will run: "An Act to provide for the acquisition by tenants of small holdings in respect of which the rent received by county councils includes instalments of capital expenditure."

Amendment moved— Title, after ("rent") insert ("received by county councils") and after ("expenditure") leave out ("received by county councils").—(The Earl of Camperdown.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Title, as amended, agreed to.

The Report of Amendments to be received on Thursday next, and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 34.)

House adjourned at ten minutes past Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Four o'clock.