§ Sir W. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland under what circumstances the Animal Breeding and Genetics Research Organisation are taking over the farm of Mr. John W. Scott, Stanhope, Broughton, Biggar; and if any opportunity was given to this tenant farmer to have a renewal of his tenure.
Mr. McNeilThe Agricultural Research Council purchased the farm of Stanhope in 1949, with a view to setting up under the control of the Animal Breeding and Genetics Research Organisation—an organisation established by the Council in 1945, with headquarters in Edinburgh—a field station for the purposes of research into the breeding of black-face sheep. In these circumstances no opportunity has been given to the tenant to renew his present lease, which expires at Martinmas, 1952. The termination of the tenancy is, however, subject to the provisions of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1949, and in this connection, an application by the Council for my consent to the operation of a notice which they propose to give to the tenant to quit the farm at the expiry of the lease is under consideration.