HC Deb 21 January 1982 vol 16 cc188-9W
Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many agriculture smallholdings were in his possession in the former county of East Lothian on 1 April 1980; how many inquiries he has received from tenants since that date about buying their holdings; how many valuations, offers and sales have been made, respectively; and what is the average period of time which has elapsed between inquiry and valuation, valuation and offer and offer and completion of sale.

Mr. Younger

Ninety-two. So far 84 tenants have inquired about buying their holdings; 78 valuations and 78 offers in principle have been made; 13 sales have been completed. In East Lothian, as nationally, the average period of time which has elapsed between inquiry and valuation is three months, between valuation and offer in principle one month, and between offer in principle and completion of sale nine months.

Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inquiries he has received from tenants of agricultural smallholdings since his announcement on 1 April 1980; how many smallholdings were in his possession on that date; how many valuations, offers and sales have been made, respectively; and what is the average period of time which has elapsed between inquiry and valuation, valuation and offer and offer and completion of sale.

Mr. Younger

Tenants of 761 smallholdings out of a total of 1, 100—excluding crofts—in my ownership on 1 April 1980 have inquired about buying their holdings. 713 valuations and 705 offers have been made, out of which 128 sales have been completed. The average period of time which has elapsed between inquiry and valuation is three months, between valuation and offer one month, and between offer and completion of sale nine months.