§ Brigadier-General Clifton Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that district agricultural wages committees are assessing the value of cottage rents, to be deducted from the national minimum wage on different scales; and whether, for the sake of uniformity and the betterment of agricultural workers' houses, he will issue instructions to the responsible committees that they should assess these rents up to the maximum of 12½ per cent. of the fixed wage in cases where similar cottages in the neighbourhood are let for 6s. or more to workers or others not employed in agriculture, and where the rural district council authorities are satisfied as to the housing requirements?
Mr. HudsonI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. T. Smith) on 13th June.