HC Deb 23 March 1979 vol 964 cc160-1W
Mr. Stainton

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in relation to the accounts for the year 1977–78 of the Land Settlement Association laid before him in December last, he will circulate in the Official Report a current valuation of land and buildings and express the net pre-tax profit of the total tenants' farm income as a percentage thereof.

Mr. Strang

This will not be possible. Land and buildings of my right hon. Friend the Minister, which are managed by the Land Settlement Association Ltd. are valued at the original cost.

Mr. Stainton

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will circulate in the Official Report an analysis of net farm incomes derived by tenants of the Land Settlement Association during 1977–78 related to estate and crop characteristics and other criteria, thus making interpretable the income spread shown on page 3 of the association's report now before him which indicates that whilst some 20 per cent. of tenants earned about £2,000 or less, approximately 10 per cent. returned £10,000; and if he will arrange for the Land Settlement Association to provide such an analysis as a regular feature of its annual report.

Mr. Strang

No. The tenants on the 10 estates are self-employed. Their incomes are directly related to the size and scale of the individual enterprises and each tenant's managerial ability, for which neither the Land Settlement Association Ltd. nor my right hon. Friend the Minister has any responsibility.

The role of the Land Settlement Association Ltd. is to manage the estates as my right hon. Friend's agent and to provide centralised services, in particular the grading, packing and marketing of the tenants' produce on their behalf. It is a non-profit making organisation.

Mr. Stainton

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will arrange for the Land Settlement Association that, in contrast to its 1977–78 report which confines reference to the EEC to small consignments of celery to Paris, a full section in future be devoted to the EEC covering such aspects as input costs, yields and marketing flows.

Mr. Strang

The information which the hon. Member is requesting is personal to the individual tenants and could prove valuable to their competitors both in the EEC and in this country. It is, therefore, confidential to the individual grower and to the Land Settlement Association Limited as their marketing agents.

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