§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture how many Land Commissioners are employed; what is paid to them; who pays their salaries; how many cases have occurred where war agricultural committees have recommended that farmers should be dispossessed; and how many of these recommendations have been accepted and turned down, respectively, by Land Commissioners.
Mr. HudsonThere are 28 officers stationed throughout England and Wales who are acting as Land Commissioners. They are employed and paid by the Ministry, and their salaries range from £600 to £1,000 per annum, exclusive of war bonus. Up till 31st May, 1944, consent had been given by the appropriate Land Commissioner on behalf of the Minister to the termination of 2,838 tenancies of agricultural holdings in England and Wales, not all, however, involving the dispossession of the fanner. Up to the same date consent had similarly been given to the taking possession of land in 6,674 separate cases in England and Wales, but not all these relate to agricultural land, nor do those that do so relate necessarily involve the dispossession of the farmer. An explanation of the reservations necessary to be attached to such figures was given in the reply which I gave to the2158W hon. and gallant Member for Sudbury on 23rd September last. Information is not available as to the number of cases in which the consent was withheld by Land Commissioners to proposals by committees to take possession and/or terminate the tenancies of land, and I am reluctant to call for statistical information applicable to a period of nearly five years when as is the case at the present time the staff is heavily engaged on current duties.