§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, by county, the number of small holdings and orchards and the amount of land
Sold Unsold Smallholdings Land including Orchards (Hectares) Smallholdings Land (Hectares) Bedfordshire 94 278 8 18 Cambridgeshire 80 392 2 4 Essex 60 159 — — Gloucestershire 51 137 — — Lincolnshire 26 51 — — Suffolk 47 152 1 5 West Sussex 120 234 — — Humberside 38 118 — — Total 516 1,521 11 27 I am pleased that more than 90 per cent. of tenants have been able to purchase their holdings.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons(a) his Ministry was unable to sell the land of the Land Settlement Association, and (b) land had to be given to the association's tenants and ex-tenants.
156Woperated by the Land Settlement Association, which (a) has been sold since 1982 and (b) has yet to be sold; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe details requested are as follows:
§ Mr. GummerEleven holdings are still in Ministry ownership because the tenants declined the opportunity to purchase them. No holdings or land have been given to association tenants or ex-tenants.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, by county, the number of smallholdings and orchards and the area involved in 157W hectares, that were operated by the Land Settlement Association prior to the termination of the arrangements with his Ministry in 1982; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe details requested are as follows:
Small holdings Land including orchards (Hectares) Bedfordshire 102 296 Cambridgeshire 82 396 Essex 60 159 Gloucestershire 51 137 Lincolnshire 26 51 Suffolk 48 157 West Sussex 120 234 Humberside 38 118 Total 527 1,548 Most of the holdings and land have now been sold to the tenants.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Ministry has received for each year since 1982 for the sale of land operated by the Land Settlement Association; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe details requested are as follows:
£ 1982–83 Nil 1983–84 2,007,890 1984–85 11,250,088 1985–86 5,084,205 1986–87 1,704,469 1987–88 325,966 1988–89 209,226 1989–90 209,545 1990–91 590,000 TOTAL 21,381,389 I consider that fair prices were obtained for all the holdings and land sold. Tenants who purchased their holdings and land paid the tenanted value for the property.