Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tied dwellings are owned by farmers and other private landowners in England and Wales; how many there are which are associated with commercial undertakings—that is experimental farms—the Forestry Commission, and agricultural colleges and university departments engaged in teaching agriculture.
301W
§ Mr. StrangOur departmental statistics do not take in ownership data of this kind, and my right hon. Friend is not responsible for the teaching, etc., establishments concerned. For a broad overall picture the hon. Member may care to refer to the basic statistics in the Tavistock Institute's recent Report on "Tied Cottages in British Agriculture", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Judging by the institute's sample, the stock of cottages on farms in England and Wales totals about 137,250, of which some 70,000 are estimated to be occupied by farmworkers. At 31st March 1975 there were about 1,500 tied dwellings on properties in England and Wales managed by the Forestry Commission and about 200 on experimental centres operated by my Department.