§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in the county of Bedfordshire are likely to be affected by the tied cottage legislation at present before the House; and whether he intends the district councils to be obliged to rehouse farm workmen seeking jobs on farms where there is no agricultural accommodation available.
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§ Mr. ArmstrongThe hon. Member has already been provided, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with an estimate of the number of agricultural tied cottages in Bedfordshire, to which I have nothing to add. The Bill proposes to place a rehousing duty on local authorities in respect of agricultural workers or ex-workers whose accommodation is needed for an incoming worker, but no rehousing duty arises in respect of incoming agricultural workers as such.