Dispossessed Farmers

Mr. E. Granville
asked the Minister of Agriculture what attitude he intends to adopt towards the application of dispossessed farmers for the recovery of their holdings.

Mr. T. Williams
:The justification for taking possession of agricultural land under War Emergency Powers by War Agricultural Executive Committees with the consent of the Minister, was the occupier's inability or unwillingness to cultivate the holding properly. Since the need for maintaining and, if possible, increasing home food production is as important as at any time during the war, I cannot at present contemplate the return of such land to the previous occupiers.