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Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Act 1931

1931 CHAPTER 41 21 and 22 Geo 5

An Act to promote the better utilisation of agricultural land in Great Britain and the settlement of unemployed persons thereon, to amend the law relating to small holdings and allotments, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.

[31st July 1931]

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Act restricted (E.W.) by Allotments Act 1950 (c. 31), s. 9

C2Style and title of Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries now changed to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by S.I. 1955/554 (1955 I, p. 1200)

C3Words of enactment omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (c. 62), s. 3

C4Certain functions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food transferred by S.I. 1978/272, art. 2

Act: Functions of a Minister of the Crown transferred to the National Assembly for Wales (W.) (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/672, art. 2, Sch. 1

Part IE+W+S Promotion of Better Utilisation of Agricultural Land in Great Britain

1—4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1E+W+S

Part IIE+W+S Small Holdings and Allotments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5Part II repealed as to small holdings by Agriculture Act 1947 (c. 48), s. 67(2)

C6Functions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under Part II now exercisable by Secretary of State, S.I. 1955/554 (1955 I, p. 1200), 1965/143, 1967/156 and 1970/1681

Small HoldingsE+W+S

5—7.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2E+W+S

8—10.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3E+W+S

F411. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F4S. 11 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

12 Power of county councils to provide cottage holdings.E+W+S

(1)The power of county councils to provide small holdings for persons who desire to buy or lease them shall include power to provide a cottage holding for any person who is, in the opinion of the council, a suitable person and who satisfies them that—

(a)he will reside permanently in the dwelling-house comprised in the holding; and

(b)he has the intention, knowledge and capital to cultivate satisfactorily the land forming part of the cottage holding,

and all the provisions of the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts with respect to small holdings shall apply to cottage holdings accordingly but subject to the modification that section six of the M1Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926, shall, in relation to any such holding, whether provided under this section or under the section thereby repealed, have effect as if among the conditions specified in subsection (1) of the said section six there were included a condition that the owner or occupier, as the case may be, shall reside permanently in the dwelling-house comprised in the holding. [F5Provided that this section shall have effect subject to section 60 of the Agriculture Act 1970]

[F6(1A)If the tenant of a cottage holding feels aggrieved by a prohibition such as is mentioned in the proviso to section 47(1) of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act M21908 (prohibition of improvements), he may appeal to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who may confirm, vary or annul the prohibition, and the decision of the Minister shall be final.]

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7

AllotmentsE+W+S

F813. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F8S. 13 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

F914. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F9S. 14 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

F1015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F10S. 15 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

F1116. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F11S. 16 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

GeneralE+W+S

17 Minor amendments of Small Holdings and Allotments Acts. E+W+S

(1)The amendments specified in the second column of the Second Schedule to this Act (which relate to matters in minor detail) shall be made in the enactments specified in the first column of that Schedule.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C7Small Holdings and Allotments Account wound up by Agriculture Act 1947 (c. 48), s. 59.

C8The text of S. 17(1) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

F1318. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F13S. 18 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

F1419. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F14S. 19 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

20 Interpretation and construction.E+W+S

(1)In this Part of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

(2)Except where the context otherwise requires, references in this Part of this Act to any enactment or to any provision of any enactment shall be construed as references to that enactment or provision as amended by any subsequent enactment, including this Part of this Act, and this Part of this Act shall, except so far as it applies to Scotland, be construed as one with the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1926, and the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1925.

Part IIIE+W+S Supplementary

F1521. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F15S. 21 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16E+W+S

F1723. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F17S. 23 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

24 Application to Scotland. E+W+S

In the application of this Act to Scotland the following provisions shall have effect:—

F18(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F19(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F20(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F19(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F19(e). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(f)Subsections (1) and (4) of section five and section six of this Act shall not apply, but the Department shall have power to provide, in accordance with the provisions of the M3Small Holding Colonies Acts, 1916 and M41918, or of the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts, 1886 to 1919, either on land belonging to the Department or on land belonging to another person with the consent of that person, a holding for an unemployed person within the meaning of the said subsection (1) or for an agricultural worker, or for a person who, being or having been a member of His Majesty’s Forces, has had a suitable course of training for agriculture, notwithstanding that such unemployed person, agricultural worker or other person would be unable to cultivate the holding unless the facilities set forth in subsection (2) of the said section five were extended to him.

F21(g). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F21(h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(i)Section one of the M5Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, 1919, which relates to the compulsory acquisition of land for the purposes of the M6Small Holding Colonies Acts, 1916 and M71918, shall have effect as if the limitation of the period, during which the powers thereby conferred may be exercised, were omitted, and any provision in any Act in force at the passing of this Act which limits the period for which that section is to remain in operation shall cease to have effect.

F22(j). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(k)F23. . . sections twelve and seventeen shall not apply.

Textual Amendments

F18S. 24(a) repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

F20S. 24(c) repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.III.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C9Functions of Department of Agriculture for Scotland now exercisable by Secretary of State: Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act 1939 (c. 20), s. 1.

C10Agriculture (Scotland) Fund wound up by Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948 (c. 45), s. 67

Marginal Citations

25 Short title, citation and extent.E+W+S

(1)This Act may be cited as the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Act, 1931, and Part II of this Act and the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1926, may be cited as the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1931, and so much of the said Part II as relates to allotments and the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1925, may be cited as the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1931.

(2)This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

F24F24FIRST SCHEDULEE+W+S

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 17.

SECOND SCHEDULEE+W+S Minor Amendments of Small Holdings and Allotments Acts.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C11The text of Sch. 2 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Enactment to be amended.Amendment.
The Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908:
F25. . .F25. . .
F25. . .F25. . .
The Allotments Act, 1925:
Section 8After the word “purchased” there shall be inserted the words “or appropriated,” and after the word “consent,” where that word occurs for the second time, there shall be inserted the words “may be given unconditionally or subject to such conditions as the Minister thinks fit, but”
The Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926:
F25. . .F25. . .
Section 13After the word “repayable” there shall be inserted the words “with interest at such rate as may be agreed between the council and the purchaser”
Section 14After the words “provided by” in both places where those words occur there shall be inserted the words “, or purchased with the assistance of,”

Textual Amendments

F25Sch. 2: entries repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), Sch. 1 Pt. 3