HC Deb 16 June 1920 vol 130 cc1287-8W
Mr. A. M. SAMUEL

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agri- culture why he has included nursery grounds within the provisions of Part I. of the Agricultural Bill but has excluded them under Part II.; why, seeing that farmers are granted a minimum price for corn under the Corn Production Act and an increased price is proposed to meet their greatly increased liabilities, no provision is made to assist nurserymen who have much heavier liabilities to meet under the Act; and whether he will take steps to remedy the Bill in this respect?

Sir A. BOSCAWEN

I understand my hon. Friend's point to be that although the occupiers of nursery grounds have to pay their employés the minimum wages prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board, nursery grounds do not come within the definition of a holding in the Agricultural Holdings Act and consequently the occupiers cannot obtain the compensation provided by that Act for tenants of agricultural holdings or market gardens. It appears to the Ministry that it would be difficult to justify the extension of the scope of the Agricultural Holdings Act so as to include nursery grounds, and I am not prepared, therefore, to propose an Amendment to the Agriculture Bill to that effect. With regard to the point as to the payment of minimum wages, it seems obvious that occupiers of nursery grounds cannot reasonably expect to pay wages which are less than the minimum wages fixed for agricultural labourers.