§ Mr. WIGNALLasked the Minister of Agriculture upon what basis his Department have instructed the county land agent for Bedfordshire to increase the rents of smallholder tenants under that county council; whether the amount of increase is left to the discretion of that official; if he is aware that the increases suggested so far are calculated to drive many of the small cultivators off the land or reduce them to a condition of abject poverty; and, in view of the understanding when many of the men took up their holdings under the Small Holdings Act of 1908, that so long as their rent was regularly paid they would enjoy peaceful possession, he will cause an impartial inquiry to be held into the whole of the circumstances at the Shire Hall, Bedford, with a view to preventing many of these tenants being ruined?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe rents of some of the pre-War small holdings in Bedfordshire are being revised by the Small Holdings Sub-committee of the County Agricultural Committee, who are presumably being advised in the matter by their technical officer, the county land agent. I am sending the hon. Member an extract from the circular letter which was isued by the Ministry at the end of 1919, which explains the circumstances under which the rents of pre-War holdings are being reviewed. The Ministry is informed that it has been clearly explained to every tenant that he has the right to submit his case to arbitration if he is not satisfied that his new rent, as fixed by the sub-committee, is reasonable, and in these circumstances I do not consider that an inquiry of the kind suggested by the hon. Member is necessary or desirable.
§ Mr. G. EDWARDSasked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been 79W drawn to the protests from practically all the old smallholders in the county of Bedford against the proposed increases in their rents; whether he is aware that the county land agent has increased rents of the smallholders of Broom Garden Field, Biggleswade, by £2 10s. per acre, and if any tenant objects he has the right of appeal to an arbitrator, but is expected to pay the costs of same; and will he direct that, in view of falling prices and the decrease in the capital value of agricultural land, that this scheme for increased rents be cancelled, and thus stop the spread of discontent in the rural districts referred to?
§ Mr. W. SMITHasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that in the county of Bedford smallholder tenants of the county council, upon protesting against increases in their rents of 50s. and over per acre, are asked by the county land agent to agree to the matter going to arbitration, and, in cases where they accept this suggestion, they are informed that they will have to bear the expenses of such arbitration or, as an alternative, be governed by the conditions laid down in the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1908; and, since this rent-raising is understood to be in accordance with the direct instructions of his Ministry, will he instruct that the costs of arbitration in all such cases shall be defrayed by his Department?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI have received representations in the matter on behalf of some of the smallholders referred to, but I am informed that the Bedfordshire County Council do not propose to increase the rents of all of their pre-War small holdings, and that in some other cases the tenants have agreed to the proposed increases. The arbitration referred to is presumably an arbitration under the procedure of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1908, the costs of which are within the discretion of the arbitrator. Any costs directed by the arbitrator to be paid by the council will be treated as expenses of the council in respect of which the council are entitled to claim against the Ministry under the Land Settlement (Facilities) Act, 1919. Having regard to the increased cost of management and repairs and the increased value of tithe rent charge, I do not consider that the council are acting unreasonably in asking that the rents of80W their small holdings shall be reviewed when they consider the holdings to be under-rented.