§ 2.36 p.m.
§ LORD BANNERMAN OF KILDONANMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any settlement of land, and, if so, the number of people settled, has been sponsored by the Government in the Highlands and Islands since 1945.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND (LORD HUGHES)My Lords, there have been four cases since 1945 where, in special circumstances, the State has acquired properties in the Highlands and Islands for land settlement purposes. The number of people settled on these estates was 34. In addition, three new holdings were formed on estates acquired before 1945.
§ LORD BANNERMAN OF KILDONANMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for his Answer, and also ex- 2 press the pleasure of your Lordships at seeing the noble Lord, Lord Hughes, back in his accustomed place. May I ask the noble Lord whether the Government consider that this is a record to be proud of—34 people settled on an area of land which is half the size of Scotland; 9 million acres? And have they still the same policy as they had in 1947, when the seven crofters of Moidart asked for one extra acre to increase their crofts and the Government were unsympathetic?
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his comments about me personally, while having not at all the same feeling towards his comments about the Government. The attitude of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the Highlands is that policies which were considered suitable prior to 1945 are not valid at the present time. We do not seek to rely on methods which have proved a failure in the past.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, may I also say how glad we are to see the noble Lord back again after his illness? I should like to ask him one supplementary question about the future of forest holdings, which are no longer very popular because a man who is employed for regular hours at a modern wage does not often want to grow food in his spare time. Are the Government aware that some forest owners are now employing on piecework rates independent men who can earn as much as they choose in their own time; and could we not in future aim at settling on the agricultural remnants which are being left by the expanding forest areas in the Highlands independent smallholders who 3 could do some forest work in their own time at piecework rates and without being liable for selective employment tax?
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, an extension of the Forestry Commission's scheme of forest workers' holdings would not now be appropriate. This scheme was initiated many years ago and was based on the concept of part-time work in the forest. Forestry operations are becoming more mechanised and highly skilled—and I know that no-one is better aware of that than the noble Earl—and the pattern of work is tending towards highly skilled piecework teams organised on a full time basis. So an extension of the scheme on the basis of piecework for tenants would not be satisfactory. There is no longer a need for a pool of unskilled and semi-skilled workers who can be called upon at times of peak forestry activity. Furthermore, from the employees' point of view, part-time employment is unattractive, because a part-time worker cannot qualify for the super-annuation benefits which are available to a full-time worker.