SMALL FARMERS (SCOTLAND) SCHEME, 1959 (Hansard, 25 March 1959)

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (LORD FORBES)
My Lords, I beg to move that the Draft Small Farmers (Scotland) Scheme, 1959, a copy of which was laid before your Lordships' House on February 24, be approved. This Scheme is the Scottish equivalent to, and is largely identical with, the Small Farmer (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Scheme, 1959, to which your Lordships gave approval on March 17. There are, however, three main differences designed to take account of 368 Scottish conditions. First, croft land, as defined in terms of the Crofters (Scotland) Act, 1955, is excluded because crofters can obtain special assistance under that Act. Secondly, this scheme does not specify a date on which small farmers are deemed to qualify. The Scheme for England and Wales and Northern Ireland had such a provision, but it was linked to eligibility for assistance in terms of the Supplementary Scheme which it is proposed to make under Section 2 of the Act. This, my Lords, is not needed in relation to a Scottish Scheme under Section 3 of the Act. Finally, hops and cider orchards are excluded from the table of standard man-days for the very simple reason that we do not have any in Scotland.
Although it is true that in Scotland there is a smaller proportion of small farm businesses than elsewhere in the United Kingdom, nevertheless we do have a substantial number, and your Lordships may be interested to know that since we began receiving provisional applications on January 17 we have received 794 applications under the Scheme, of which at first sight about 688 are eligible. We hope that, in drawing up improvement programmes under the Scheme, the farmers concerned will make full use of the Advisory Services of the Agricultural Colleges, and that the carrying out of these programmes will result in a substantial and lasting improvement in the efficiency of these small farms. My Lords, I accordingly recommend the Scheme to the House with confidence.

§ LORD WISE
My Lords, before this Scheme goes through the House there are one or two things I should like to say about it. I rather hesitate to enter into Scottish farming practices, but I think that something should be said about the need for further information in regard to the Scheme. I realise that the Scottish Scheme varies in the ways indicated by the noble Lord from the Scheme for England and Wales and Northern Ireland, but I should like to be quite certain of one thing. I think I am right, and probably the noble Lord will tell me so.
If he will refer to the Memorandum which was issued with the Scheme, at the end of paragraph 8, subsection (2), he 369 will see the references that he has already made to the Supplementary Scheme for England. It also says that the Scottish Scheme to be made later under Section 3 of the Act will be fundamentally different, and that the link will take a different form. I understand that, but I want it to be quite clear that the Scottish farmer does not have the same privileges as farmers in other parts of the country in regard to supplementary schemes, as the noble Lord will remember that we have approved a Supplementary Scheme for England, Wales and the rest. It is quite clear, I believe, that the Scottish farmer will not be in the same position as the English farmer with regard to draining, liming and the other things which are mentioned in the Supplementary Scheme.
I notice with interest, too, that the Scottish Scheme does not include the hops and cider orchards, but I would refer the noble Lord to the fact that in that Scheme there still remain the derelict orchards. I hope that there are no derelict orchards in Scotland. I agree with the noble Lord that the small farmers should make every possible use they can of the Advisory Services, and I hope that these Advisory Services will be sufficient to cope with the applications which have been made. With those few words, and with some benediction on my part—because I hope the Scheme will prove a benefit to the small farmers in Scotland—I am glad to support it.

§ LORD FORBES
My Lords, in reply to the noble Lord, at present there is no Supplementary Scheme for farmers in Scotland.