§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
What limits are currently placed on the amount of land, particularly agricultural land, that can be bought in the United Kingdom by those not resident here; what special rules apply to individuals and companies from other member States of the EEC; whether British citizens and companies can compete on an equal basis with individuals and companies based in 1074WA fellow member States of the EEC for the acquisition of land in those countries; and what are the differences, in each member State, between conditions applied to individuals and companies domiciled there, and the conditions applied to British subjects.
§ Lord STRABOLGIThere are no limits on the amount of agricultural land that can be bought in the United Kingdom by those not resident here, nor are there special rules applying to individuals and companies from other member States of the EEC. It would be incompatible with the freedom of establishment provisions of the Treaty of Rome for a member State to apply restrictions to the purchase of agricultural land by other EEC nationals or companies which did not apply equally to its own. The noble Lord will be aware, however, that this subject is currently under consideration by the Committee of Inquiry into the Acquisition and Occupancy of Agricultural Land under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Northfield, and I would ask him to await the Committee's report.