A BILL ΤΟ Provide for the Nationalisation of land in Great A.D. 1923. Britain and the abolition of private property therein. BE E it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, 5 as follows: 1. For the purpose of making provision for the Appointnationalisation of land in Great Britain, it shall be lawful ment of for His Majesty to appoint a Minister of Lands (herein- Minister of after called "the Minister "), who shall hold office during 10 His Majesty's pleasure. Lands. Great 2. On the date of the passing of this Act all land Transfer of situate in any part of Great Britain and all land in the all land in islands adjacent thereto and forming part of any admini- Britain to strative county therein, which was not prior to the date Crown in 15 aforesaid already the property of the Crown, or of any trust. public authority, shall be transferred to and vested in the Crown in trust for the public, subject to the payment of compensation as hereinafter provided. 3. It shall be lawful for the Minister to exercise on 20 behalf of the Crown and for the benefit of the public all the duties, powers and obligations of the trust so created, and the Minister shall for that purpose have all the powers usually conferred upon trustees in connection with the ownership of land held under or by virtue of any will, 25 deed of settlement, conveyance or other instrument (except the power to sell or alienate such land), together with the additional powers, duties and obligations hereby specially conferred upon him. Minister to carry out duties of trust. A.D. 1923. 4. The Minister, who shall (whenever possible) be a member of the House of Commons, shall be responsible Responsibility of to Parliament for the proper carrying out of the duties of Minister to his office and for the direction, control and supervision of Parliament. the Ministry of Lands hereby authorised to be established 5 Minister for time being to be a corporation sole. Salaries and expenses. Appointment of advisory council. for the purpose of assisting him in the work of administra- 5. Upon and by virtue of the appointment of the 6.-(1) There shall be paid, out of moneys provided 25 by Parliament, to the Minister of Lands and to the secretaries, officers, and servants of the Ministry established under this Act, such salaries or remuneration as the Treasury may from time to time determine. (2) The expenses of the Ministry of Lands established 30 under this Act, to such amount as may be sanctioned by the Treasury, shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament. 7. It shall be the duty of the Minister as aforesaid (a) The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. (c) The Board of Agriculture for Scotland. 40 5 (e) The Municipal Corporations' Association. (j) The Co-operative Congress. (1) A Farm-Workers' Association. A.D. 1923. to be trans ferred. 8. Where at the time of the commencement of Buildings in 10 this Act any houses (not being farm-houses or farm- general not buildings) or any factories or other works are situate on the land hereby transferred or on any part thereof the ownership of such houses, factories or other works shall not pass with such land and vest in the Crown, but shall 15 remain the property of the previous owners thereof as if this Act had not been passed. 9. Where the land transferred is agricultural land, As to agriany farm-houses, farm-buildings, hedges, ditches, roads, cultural bridges or other creations or improvements situate thereon land, &c. 20 or made therein, shall be deemed to pass with the land, and shall together with such land vest in the Crown as aforesaid, provided that the Minister shall be at liberty to sell and the tenant or occupier of the said land shall have the right to purchase such farm-house, farm-building, 25 hedges, ditches, roads, bridges or other erections or improvements, and the Minister, when and so soon as the said transfer shall take effect, shall offer the same for sale to the said tenant or occupier accordingly at a price to be settled by agreement or arbitration, such price to be 30 payable either in cash or by way of annual rent-charge or partly in cash and partly by way of annual rent-charge. Until the payment of the purchase price has been completed, the ownership of any such farm-house, farmbuildings, hedges, ditches, roads, bridges and other erections 35 or improvements shall be vested in the Crown; but after the payment of the purchase money they shall form part of the tenant right attached to the holding, and any additional improvement thereinafter made, and any building erected or other work carried out by the tenant 40 on his holding shall be deemed to be the absolute property of the tenant in his own right. 10. The compensation to be paid to the respective Form of owners of the land transferred and acquired under the compensaprovisions of this Act shall be paid in the form of tion, A.D. 1923. National Land Stock bearing interest at the rate of 51. per 1007., which shall be redeemable at par at the end of thirty years by means of a sinking fund or by the provision of money in such other way as Parliament may hereafter determine. Basis of compensa tion. Assessment of compensation. Procedure 5 11. The total amount of such stock payable to each owner shall be such a sum as will represent twenty years' purchase of the annual rental value of the land, less reasonable expenses of management, such value being calculated as the annual value of the land for the pur- 10 poses for which it is being used at the time it is transferred as aforesaid. 12. The amount of compensation to be paid under the last preceding section shall in the case of difference between the Minister and the owner of the transferred 15 land be determined by the arbitration of such one of the panel of official arbitrators appointed under the provisions of the Acquisition of Land (Assessment of Compensation) Act, 1919, as may be selected by the Ministry of Lands for this purpose. 13.-(1) In any proceedings before an official arbibefore official trator, not more than one expert witness on either side shall be heard unless the official arbitrator otherwise directs. arbitrators. Application of revenue. 20 (2) The official arbitrator shall be entitled to enter 25 on and inspect any land which is the subject of proceedings before him. (3) Proceedings under this Act shall be heard by an official arbitrator sitting in public. (4) The fees to be charged in respect of proceedings 30 before official arbitrators shall be such as the Treasury may prescribe. 14. The payment of the interest on the National Land Stock shall be the first charge upon all rents payable to or receivable by the Minister in respect of lands let by 35 him on lease or otherwise, and all other monies payable to or receivable by him in virtue of his office after payment of the costs of administration has been made, but where the total rental revenue in any district exceeds the total interest payable on the Stock issued as compensation for 40 the land in that area, the Minister shall remit the excess to the public lands committee, in whose hands the local administration of such land is vested, of revenue 15. After payment of the compensation to the owners A.D. 1923. as herein before provided in respect of their transferred land, all rents payable in respect of lands let on lease or Application otherwise by the Minister or one of the local authorities after com5 or the public lands committees hereafter mentioned shall pensation. be applied by the local authorities as to three-fourths thereof to the costs of administration and other local purposes and the remainder shall be transmitted to the Minister, who shall cause it to be paid into the Treasury 10 to form part of the consolidated fund. 16. Subject to such general regulations as shall be Appointprescribed by Parliament and the Minister, the local ment of authorities hereinafter mentioned shall be responsible for public lands the details of the administration of the trust estate in 15 their respective areas, and for the more convenient and effective exercise of their administrative duties, the said authorities respectively shall appoint public lands committees (to consist of members of such authorities respectively) who shall have power to act in the name of 20 and with the full authority of the bodies by which they are respectively appointed, and shall be empowered to co-opt other members not belonging to the bodies above referred to, provided that the number of such co-opted members shall in no case exceed one-fourth of the total 25 number of any committee, and the said local authorities and lands committees in the performance of the duties assigned to them shall make such reports to and obey such instructions of the Minister as shall from time to time be prescribed by him. The local authorities in this 30 section referred to are: 35 (a) The London County Council. (b) The councils of county boroughs and other (c) Urban district councils. (d) Rural district councils. (e) County councils, in the case of parishes not committees. 17. The public lands committee of every area shall Powers and take all steps necessary for securing the letting or other duties of 40 beneficial user of the land within such area, and shall public lands prescribe, define, and regulate the terms and conditions upon which, and the persons to whom, the said land shall be let, and shall at all times keep and maintain registers, committees. |