HC Deb 01 December 1982 vol 33 cc174-5W
Mr. Nelson

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the way in which the Land Settlement Association's smallholdings scheme is functioning; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker

I have received representations from a large number of Land Settlement Association tenants, both individually and collectively, about the operation of the current LSA scheme. In the light of these representations, and of my discussions with the LSA chairman, Mr. Michael Parker, I have been carefully considering the future of the 10 LSA estates. I am now able to announce the changes I propose to make.

First, I am convinced that the tenants of the estates should take over the responsibility for the marketing of their own produce and that this should happen as soon as possible. I hope that wherever possible individual estate co-operatives will be formed or that, where appropriate, satisfactory agreements can be made with other existing marketing organisations. The facilities and equipment used at present by the LSA will first be made available for purchase or lease on commercial terms by those new or existing marketing organisations who might wish to take them over in the interests of the tenants. I will accordingly be entering into consultations with the tenants" representatives about implementation of these proposals, with the intention of terminating the current LSA marketing arrangements as from the beginning of April 1983.

Secondly, I am anxious to give LSA tenants the opportunity to buy their holdings. I will therefore be making arrangements for individual offers to be made to tenants, based on the tenanted value of the properties which they occupy. The LSA chairman has undertaken to explore with commercial financial institutions the possibilities of their setting up arrangements to assist those who wish to buy their holdings. Again, the arrangements for the sale of individual holdings will be the subject of consultations between the representatives of the tenants, the LSA and my Department.

I firmly believe that the future of the individual LSA tenants lies in successful marketing at the estate level, organised and controlled by the growers themselves. The moves that I have just outlined will help to attain this objective. I am sure that the representatives of the tenants involved will co-operate fully in their implementation.