§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list the(a) total area of land administered by the Church Commissioners, (b) amount assessed as agricultural land, (c) amount of land let for the purpose of farming and (d) total number of tenant farmers; and if he will make a statement. [10519]
§ Mr. AlisonThe commissioners administer land for investment in agricultural, residential and commercial property and, in addition, small areas occupied by bishops' residences. Statistics of total area are available only for agricultural land. As at 31 December 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, the commissioners owned 55,518 hectares—137,185 acres—of agricultural land; 52,788 hectares—130,438 acres—were let for the purpose of farming. For the purpose of calculating only the number of tenant farmers, the commissioners define a farm as an area of land over 20 hectares—50 acres. As at 31 December 1995, there were 371 tenanted farms.