HC Deb 08 July 1930 vol 241 cc255-6W
Mr. BLINDELL

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total amount of rent charged upon the Guy's Hospital estate

Sutton Bridge. Holbeach.
1928. 1929. 1930. 1928. 1929. 1930.
£ £ £ £ £ £
Total amount payable at Lady Day Audit (including arrears from previous Half Year). 10,086 10,215 11,471 1,899 1,876 2,381
Amount paid at or previous to Audit 9,344 8,825 4,593 1,492 1,423 815
Arrears after Audit 742 1,390 6,878 407 453 1,566

In view of the abnormally low prices of produce a rebate of 5 per cent. was conceded on all rents paid in full at the 1930 audits, while those tenants who could not pay the whole amount immediately were allowed to defer payment of one-half of the Lady Day rent

at Sutton Bridge and the Crown Colony, Holbeach, the average rent per acre payable by tenants, and the total arrears of rent upon each estate after the Lady Day rent audit for the years 1928, 1929 and 1930, respectively?

Dr. ADDISON

The Guy's Hospital estate at Sutton Bridge is owned by the Ministry subject to a perpetual rent-charge of £18,500 per annum. The estate originally comprised 6,342 acres, but 958 acres have been sold for cash, the Ministry continuing to be liable for the full amount of the rentcharge. Approximately, £136,000 has been spent on the adaptation and equipment of the remaining 5,584 acres, and the total rents charged to the tenants amount to approximately £22,000, or about £3 19s. per acre. Development of the estate was only completed this year. The Crown Colony, Holbeach, comprising 994 acres, is leased by the Ministry from the Commissioners of Crown Lands at an annual rental of £1,616. The Ministry has spent about £65,000 on the adaptation and equipment of the estate, and the rents charged to the tenants amount to approximately £4,100, or about £4 2s. 6d. per acre. This figure includes grazing rents amounting to £330, which are only payable at Michaelmas.

The required particulars of arrears at the last three Lady Day rent audits are as follow:

for six months. These concessions affect very materially any comparison between 1930 and previous years. Since the audits, which were held less than three weeks ago, a further £2,186 had been paid at Sutton Bridge and £79 at Holbeach.

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