AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (PLOUGHING UP OF LAND) BILL. (Hansard, 5 March 1946)

§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (THE EARL OF HUNTINGDON)

My Lords, this is a very short Bill and, with your Lordships' permission I will make only a short speech in introducing it. In view of the extremely serious position in regard to food, instead of reducing our tillage area this year, we have to aim at 1068 getting at least the same tillage area both in 1946 and 1947 as we had in 1944 and, in fact, if possible, we would like to increase it. This will mean that some land which farmers had intended to retain under temporary grass this year must be ploughed up, if necessary by compulsion. It is, therefore, intended to seek powers in this Bill to extend the ploughing-up grant of£2 per acre, which up to the present has been limited to seven-year and older grassland, and this is now to apply to three-year leys and to older grass. That is to say, that any land ploughed up after February 5, 1946, which was under grass on or before February 5, 1943, or even land which was already sown for grass at any time during the year 1943, would be eligible for this grant.

No farmer need wait to plough up until he hears from his district committee or district officer. Farmers should notify their committees of any land which has been ploughed up since February 5, or which is intended to be ploughed up, and which appears to be eligible for the new grant. Committees will then satisfy themselves of the eligibility of the land for grant. Tenants will be safeguarded by the issue of directions to plough up against any penalties for ploughing up imposed by the terms of their leases. The Government feel that this is a necessary step to meet the present crisis. I hope that this will prove to be a non-controversial Bill, and that it may pass through your Lordships' House as speedily as possible. For those reasons I commend this Bill to your Lordships and move that it be read a second time.

§ THE EARL OF ROSEBERY

My Lords, I do not intend to speak at any length on the Second Reading of this measure. It is a Bill that, obviously, has got to be passed. It is a Bill which is necessary owing to circumstances about which there is no need to talk at the present time. But I am sure that I am speaking for a number of my noble friends here when I say that there must be Amendments to the Bill at a later date. A number of us feel, for instance, that the £2 subsidy per acre should not start on February 5, but should start in July of last year. This is our reason: by giving the subsidy after February 5 1069 what you are in fact doing is giving a subsidy to the farmers who had not the forethought to plough last autumn, or were not patriotic enough to plough their leys when it was obvious to everyone that we should need more wheat. I do not know if this is to be embodied in a Privilege Amendment, but I do know that a number of us here feel that the good farmer should not be mulcted at the expense of the bad farmer.