Law

Agriculture Act 1970

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2025-06-16, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 93 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  3. 28 Interpretation of Part II.
  4. 29 Farm capital grants.
  5. 30 Supplementary provisions as to farm capital grants.
  6. 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  7. 32 Amendments as to grants in connection with alterations of farm structure.
  8. 33 Miscellaneous amendments relating to amalgamations.
  9. 34 New provision as to standard costs, etc. for certain grants.
  10. 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  11. 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  12. 37 Interpretation of Part III.
  13. 38 Smallholdings authorities.
  14. 39 General aim of statutory smallholdings.
  15. 40 Reorganisation of smallholdings estates.
  16. 41 Approval by Minister of proposals for reorganisation.
  17. 42 Subsequent reviews and proposals for further reorganisation.
  18. 43 Submission and approval of proposals otherwise than in connection with reviews.
  19. 44 Letting of smallholdings.
  20. 45 Rent to be charged for smallholdings.
  21. 46 Equipment of smallholdings.
  22. 47 General powers of management.
  23. 48 Acquisition of land for purposes of smallholdings.
  24. 49 Surplus land held for purposes of smallholdings.
  25. 50 Grants in respect of certain amalgamations, etc.
  26. 51 Increase of certain capital grants.
  27. 52 Contributions under previous enactments.
  28. 53 Loans and guarantees by smallholdings authorities.
  29. 54 Land held by Minister for purposes of smallholdings.
  30. 55 Acquisition of land by Minister for purposes of smallholdings.
  31. 56 Default powers of Minister.
  32. 57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  33. 58 Accounts and records of smallholdings authorities.
  34. 59 Annual reports.
  35. 60 Cottage holdings.
  36. 61 Special classes of land.
  37. 62 Provisions as to Wales (including Monmouth-shire).
  38. 63 Provisions as to regulations.
  39. 64 Transitional provisions and amendments.
  40. 65 Commencement and extent of Part III.
  41. 66 Interpretation of Part IV.
  42. 67 Enforcement authorities and appointment of inspectors and analysts.
  43. 67A Enforcement authorities and appointment of inspectors and analysts in Scotland
  44. 68 Duty of seller to give statutory statement.
  45. 69 Marking of material prepared for sale.
  46. 70 Use of names or expressions with prescribed meanings.
  47. 71 Particulars to be given of certain attributes if claimed to be present.
  48. 72 Warranty of fitness of feeding stuff.
  49. 72A Delegation by Food Standards Scotland
  50. 73 Deleterious ingredients in feeding stuff.
  51. 73A
  52. 74 Limits of variation.
  53. 74A
  54. 75 Purchaser’s right to have sample taken and analysed.
  55. 76 Inspector’s power to enter premises and take samples.
  56. 77 Division of samples and analysis by agricultural analyst.
  57. 78 Further analysis by Government Chemist.
  58. 79 Supplementary provisions relating to samples and analysis.
  59. 80 Institution of prosecutions.
  60. 81 Offences due to fault of other person.
  61. 82 Defence of mistake, accident, etc.
  62. 83 Exercise of powers by inspectors.
  63. 84 Regulations.
  64. 85 Exemption for certain sales.
  65. 86 Modifications of Part IV in application to Northern Ireland.
  66. 87 Commencement of Part IV, savings and amendments.
  67. 88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  68. 92 Provision of flood warning systems.
  69. 93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  70. 94 Arrangements with other bodies.
  71. 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  72. 97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  73. 98 Extent of Part VI.
  74. 99 Agricultural tied cottages.
  75. 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  76. 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  77. 102 Registration of notices relating to conditions applied to Scottish cottages under Hill Farming Act 1946 s. 10.
  78. 103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  79. 104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  80. 105 Amendments of Diseases of Animals Act 1950.
  81. 106 Eradication of brucellosis.
  82. 107 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  83. 108 Corn returns.
  84. 109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  85. 110 Offences by bodies corporate.
  86. 111 Expenses and receipts.
  87. 112 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  88. 113 Short title, construction of references and repeals.
  89. SCHEDULE 1
  90. SCHEDULE 2 S. 26 of Agriculture Act 1967 as amended
  91. SCHEDULE 3 Transitional Provisions for Part III
  92. SCHEDULE 4 Enactments amended
  93. SCHEDULE 5

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93 provisions

106 Eradication of brucellosis.

(1) The appropriate Minister may, in accordance with a scheme made by the appropriate authority with the consent of the Treasury, pay to the owner of any herd of cattle kept in the United Kingdom, or to any person concerned with the management of such a herd, such sums as that Minister thinks fit to expend in connection with the eradication of brucellosis, and may in particular, if the scheme so provides, pay any such sum by way of supplement to, and subject to any terms or conditions governing the payment of, any grant or subsidy payable under or by virtue of any enactment other than this section. (2) A board constituted by any scheme relating to the marketing of milk and made under the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958 or any enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland shall, in accordance with any scheme in that behalf made by the appropriate authority with the consent of the Treasury, make to producers registered under the scheme constituting the board payments in connection with the eradication of brucellosis, being payments in respect of milk sold, or deemed for the purpose of any payments under the scheme constituting the board to have been produced, on or after 1st April 1970; and the sums from time to time required by such a board for the making of payments under this subsection shall be paid to the board by the appropriate Minister. (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Any person who offers for sale, otherwise than for slaughter, any animal known to him to be a reactor to brucella abortus shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or, if the offence is committed with respect to more than ten animals, to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale for each animal. (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7) Any person who knowingly or recklessly makes any false statement for the purpose of obtaining for himself or any other person any payment under a scheme under subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both. (8) Any of the following officers— (a) in England and Wales, any officer of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food authorised in writing by that Minister to exercise the powers conferred by this subsection; (b) in Scotland, any officer of the Secretary of State or of the said Minister having the like authority of that Secretary of State, and (c) in Northern Ireland, any officer within paragraph (a) above, and any officer of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland having the like authority of that Department; may, for the purpose of obtaining any information which he may consider necessary in connection with a scheme under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, enter upon any land or premises and there inspect any animal, apply any test or take any sample, and examine and take copies of or extracts from any document. The right of entry under this subsection may be exercised at any reasonable time, but only after production of the officer’s authority if so required; and any person who obstructs or impedes an officer acting in the exercise of his powers under this subsection shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or both. (9) In subsections (1) and (2) of this section— “the appropriate Minister” means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or, in relation to herds kept in Scotland or sums required for making payments to producers in Scotland, the Secretary of State; and “the appropriate authority” means the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food or, for the purposes of a scheme relating to herds or producers in Wales (including Monmouthshire), that Minister and the Secretary of State acting jointly or, for the purposes of a scheme relating to herds or producers in Scotland, the Secretary of State. (10) A scheme under subsection (1) or (2) of this section— (a) may relate to herds or producers in one part only of the United Kingdom or (the appropriate authorities acting jointly for the purpose, if different) in two or more such parts; (b) may be varied or revoked by a subsequent scheme under that subsection; (c) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

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107 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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108 Corn returns.

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109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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110 Offences by bodies corporate.

(1) Where a body corporate is guilty of an offence under this Act or any order or scheme made thereunder and that offence is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly. (2) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, the foregoing subsection shall apply in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.

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111 Expenses and receipts.

(1) There shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament— (a) any expenditure incurred by any Minister under or by virtue of this Act; and (b) any increase attributable to any provision of this Act in the sums payable out of moneys so provided under any other enactment. (2) All receipts of any Minister under this Act ... shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

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112 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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113 Short title, construction of references and repeals.

(1) This Act may be cited as the Agriculture Act 1970. (2) Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended, extended or applied by or under any other enactment, including any enactment contained in this Act. (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) The inclusion in this Act of any express saving, transitional provision or amendment shall not be taken as affecting the operation in relation to this Act of sections 16(1) and 17(2) (a) of the Interpretation Act 1978 (which relates to the effect of repeals).

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SCHEDULE 1

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SCHEDULE 2 S. 26 of Agriculture Act 1967 as amended

Section 32(8). 26 (1) The appropriate Minister may in accordance with a scheme approve, and (subject to section 50 of the Agriculture Act 1970) make grants out of money provided by Parliament towards expenditure incurred in connection with the carrying out of— (a) transactions for securing that agricultural land which is or forms part of an uncommercial unit, but which together with some other agricultural land could form an intermediate unit or commercial unit, shall be owned and occupied with that other land, and (b) transactoins for securing that, where an intermediate unit or a commercial unit is not all in the same ownership, any part of it comes to be in the same ownership as the rest of that unit, or in the same ownership as some other part of that unit, but excluding transactions which bring into the same ownership and occupation two or more parts of the unit each of which could by itself form a commercial unit, and (c) transfers or exchanges of agricultural land (or estates or interests in agricultural land) for the purpose of giving more satisfactory boundaries to one or more agricultural units; and for the purposes of paragraph (a) above, such assumptions as the appropriate Minister may consider reasonable may be made as to the works and facilities which will be carried out or provided for the benefit of the unit to be formed. Transactions within paragraphs (a) and (b) above are in this Part of this Act referred to as “amalgamations", and transactions within paragraph (c) are in this Part of this Act referred to as “boundary adjustments". (2) A scheme under this section may restrict the amalgamations and boundary adjustments to which it applies in any way, and may in particular exclude amalgamations of land which has reverted from being in single ownership or occupation. (3) The expenditure towards which a grant may be made under this section in connection with an amalgamation or boundary adjustment shall be any costs of the amalgamation or boundary adjustment of any description specified in the scheme. (4) A scheme under this section may make different provision for different circumstances. (5) The amount of any grant payable under this section towards expenditure shall be determined in such manner as may be provided for by or under the scheme. (6) A scheme under this section shall provide for grant in respect of such of any expenditure such as is mentioned in subsection (3) above as is approved for the purposes of grant by the appropriate Minister in connection with an amalgamation or boundary adjustment approved by that Minister in pursuance of the scheme, and any such approval— (a) may be given either before or, in any case where the appropriate Minister thinks fit, after the expenditure has been incurred or the amalgamation or boundary adjustment has been carried out; (b) may be given subject to such conditions as the appropriate Minister may specify, and in particular subject to any condition as to the time within which the amalgamation or boundary adjustment is to be carried out or as to the carrying out or provision within a specified period of specified works or facilities appearing to the appropriate Minister to be necessary as a consequence of the amalgamation or boundary adjustment; (c) may be varied or withdrawn by the appropriate Minister with the written consent of the person on whose application the approval was given; and the appropriate Minister may, if he thinks fit, for the purposes of a claim for grant under section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970 issue a certificate with respect to any work or facility that he considers it to be necessary or desirable as a consequence of an amalgamation, or to be necessary as a consequence of a boundary adjustment, approved by that Minister in pursuance of the scheme. (7) After the payment of any grant under this section, any grant under section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970 in respect of any work or facility certified under subsection (6) above or any grant under subsection (1)(a) of the next following section in connection with an amalgamation the relevant unit shall be subject to the provisions of Schedule 3 to this Act and— (a) the appropriate Minister shall not approve the amalgamation unless satisfied that all persons having an estate or interest in the relevant unit have given their written consent to the application of that Schedule to the relevant unit, (b) the relevant unit shall be, or be part of, the agricultural unit or units specified for the purposes of this subsection by the appropriate Minister in the document giving his approval to the amalgamation, and (c) in the said Schedule 3 as applied by this subsection “relevant Exchequer payments” shall mean— (i) any such grant as aforesaid in respect of such expenditure as the appropriate Minister may certify as being expenditure related to the relevant unit, and (ii) such sum as the appropriate Minister may certify as the sum representing his administrative expenses (including an appropriate proportion of overhead expenses and other fixed or general expenses) incurred in connection with making the grant, and “the relevant date” shall, for any grant and the related administrative expenses, be the date when the grant was paid. (8) In the case of the payment of any grant under this section or any such grant under section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970 as is referred to in the last foregoing subsection in connection with a boundary adjustment the appropriate Minister may, if he thinks fit, designate in the document giving his approval to the boundary adjustment any land appearing to him to benefit from the boundary adjustment as land which, after the payment of that grant, is to be a relevant unit subject to the provisions of Schedule 3 to this Act, and paragraphs (a) and (c) of the last foregoing subsection shall apply in relation to the boundary adjustment as they apply in relation to an amalgamation. (9) The duration of a scheme under this section shall be a period not exceeding seven years, but that period may from time to time be extended by further schemes under this section for periods not exceeding seven years. (10) A grant shall not be made under section 16 of the Agriculture Act 1957 (which relates to grants towards costs of amalgamation and is superseded by this section) in respect of a transaction proposed in an application made under that section after the coming into force of the first scheme made under this section, and so much of subsection (2) of the said section 16 as limits the time within which applications may be made under that section shall cease to have effect. (11) The following enactments— (a) section 6(c) of the Hill Farming Act 1946, (b) section 5(3) of the Agriculture (Small Farmers) Act 1959, or (c) section 2(3) of the Agriculture and Horticulture Act 1964, (under which grant under those Acts may be recovered by the appropriate Minister if there is a failure to carry out proposals), and any provision to the like effect in regulations made under section 77(3) of the Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948 or section 22(4) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1955, shall not apply where in the opinion of the appropriate Minister the carrying out of the proposals is, as a consequence of an amalgamation or boundary adjustment apporved in pursuance of a scheme under this section or in consequence of the carrying out or provision of works or facilities certified under subsection (6) thereof, impracticable or to no purpose or unduly expensive.

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SCHEDULE 3 Transitional Provisions for Part III

Section 64(1). 1 In this Schedule “the repeal” means the repeal by this Act of the enactments specified in Part III of Schedule 5 thereto, and “the repealed enactments” means the enactments so specified. 2 Any land which immediately before the commencement of Part III of this Act is held by a smallholdings authority for the purposes of smallholdings shall, notwithstanding the repeal, continue to be held by that authority for the purposes of smallholdings, subject to any power exercisable by the authority by virtue of any enactment to appropriate or dispose of it for other purposes. 3 The repeal shall not affect the validity of any letting effected before the commencement of Part III of this Act. 4 The repeal shall not affect the operation of any of the repealed enactments in relation to allotments or in relation to allotment committees. 5 The repeal, in so far as it relates to section 48 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908, shall not affect the operation of that section in relation to cottage holdings. 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The repeal shall not affect any duty of the Minister to give effect to any trust on which any land is held by the Minister or to any scheme established under the Charitable Trusts Acts 1853 to 1939, or any of those Acts, and subsisting immediately before the commencement of Part III of this Act in accordance with section 48(4) of the Charities Act 1960. 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Without prejudice to the preceding provisions of this Schedule, in so far as any agreement made, record, map or plan compiled and kept, or other thing done by virtue of any of the repealed enactments could have been made, compiled and kept or done by virtue of a corresponding provision of Part III of this Act, it shall not be invalidated by the repeal but shall effect as if made, compiled and kept or done by virtue of that corresponding provision.

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SCHEDULE 4 Enactments amended

Section 64(2). Enactment | Amendment The Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Act 1931 (21 & 22 Geo. 5. c. 41) | At the end of section 12 there shall be added the following proviso:- “Provided that this section shall have effect subject to section 60 of the Agriculture Act 19 7 0" The Agriculture Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 48) | In section 58, in subsection (1), after the words “they may" there shall be inserted the words “at any time before the passing of the Agriculture Ac t 1970". In Schedule 8, in Part II, in the first entry, for the words from “the application" to the end of the entry, there shall be substituted the words “ any regulations made under section 52(2) of the Agriculture Act 1970 ”, and in the second entry, for the words “not authorised by Part IV of this Act" there shall be substituted the words “not authorised by Part III of the Agriculture Act 1970" . . . | . . . . . . | . . .

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SCHEDULE 5

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