§ can only adopt what is recommended by the Technical Committee.
THE DUKE OF MONTROSEI am not quite satisfied with that. It must be absolutely equal terms, with no priority. I would say that one half of this order of 10,000 should be given to the Government producer and the other half should be distributed openly and equally among firms of experience, and there should be no favouritism whatever. If we vote for your scheme it means that private makes are excluded, because priority will be given in materials to the Government producer and that alone. I understand that in the case of the last producer the Government gave away stationary producers free of cost to certain individuals or certain Services. That was public money. I wonder what the Public Accounts Committee would have to say about the distribution of producers made with public money, and given away free of cost. That is the information that I have, and I can prove it. I feel I must press this Motion if private enterprise is to be excluded from equality with a Government producer.
§ On Question, Whether the Motion shall be agreed to?
§ Their Lordships divided: Contents, 20; Not-Contents, 19.
743| CONTENTS. | ||
| Wellington, D. | Mersey, V. | Davies, L. |
| Denman, L. | ||
| Crewe, M. | Addison, L. | Gainford, L. [Teller.] |
| Ailwyn, L. | Gorell, L. | |
| Bessborough, E. | Ampthill, L. | Sempill, L. |
| Graham, E. (D. Montrose.) [Teller.] | Barnby, L. | Stanmore, L. |
| Boyle, L. (E. Cork and Orrery.) | Strabolgi, L. | |
| Strafford, E. | Teviot, L. | |
| Wyfold, L. |
| NOT-CONTENTS. | ||
| Simon, V. (L. Chancellor.) | Ridley, V. | O'Hagan, L. |
| Rushcliffe, L. | ||
| Norfolk, D. (E. Marshal.) | Bethell, L. | Snell, L. [Teller.] |
| Cecil, L. (V. Cranborne.) | Southwood, L. | |
| Lucan, E. | Clanwilliam, L. (E. Clanwilliam.) | Templemore, L. [Teller.] |
| Selborne, E. | Wardington, L. | |
| Hare, L. (E. Listowel.) | Wedgwood, L. | |
| Cowdray, V. | Leathers, L. | Woolton, L. |
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government the extent of the acreage in each county in Great Britain which has been compulsorily taken over by the county war agricultural committees and cultivated by them.]
745THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY of THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (THE DUKE OF NORFOLK)My Lords, up to March 31, 1942, war agricultural executive committees in England and Wales had taken possession of 223,038 acres. Of this area the committees were farming 151,757 acres, including land which was being farmed temporarily with a view to subsequent letting. As regards Scotland, possession has been taken by the Secretary of State of 126,523 acres, of which 112,693 acres are being managed by him and 11,628 acres are being cultivated by war agricultural executive committees. The area of which possession has been taken in Scotland includes some 110,000 acres of deer forest. It is not considered desirable to give the figures county by county owing to the possibility of erroneous conclusions being drawn from companions of one county with another without full knowledge of the varying circumstances of each case.
LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, while thanking the noble Duke for his answer, which gives figures for the country as a whole, I cannot help regretting that it is considered inexpedient to give the figures for each county. It would have been not only of interest but of importance to all interested in this subject to know in what localities these farms and other places taken over are being cultivated by the county war agricultural committees. I do not know if it would be possible for the Government to let us know—it would certainly be of great interest—how much of the land at present being cultivated by the war agricultural committees was reclaimed and how much was in agricultural holdings when it was taken over and cultivated by the committees. It is quite obvious it would be a good test of the efficient use being made of the land before the war agricultural committees came into their effective operation.
THE DUKE OF NORFOLKI am afraid we have no record showing the actual number of farms taken over as compared with the land that was reclaimed as being in a bad state.
§ The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House that he had received a sealed copy 746 of a Certificate of Removal of Disqualification, dated April 23, 1942, granted to Alexander Leigh Henry, Baron Burgh, when he was granted his discharge from bankruptcy by the County Court at Brighton.