Committee on the Administration of Crown Lands: Records

CRES 48

1954-1955

Correspondence and papers, minutes and the report of the Committee on the Administration of Crown Lands.

A copy of the report of the committee can be found in Piece 8B.

Public Record(s)

English

9 file(s)

Topics

Crown lands and estates

The Committee on the Administration of Crown Lands was by set up Churchill as a direct result of the Crichel Down affair. Its purpose was to examine the existing arrangements for the administration of Crown Lands, and to report on whether changes should be introduced. It was an independent body, headed by Sir Malcolm Trustam Eve, and commenced sitting in December 1954, reporting on 30 June 1955.

The recommendations made by the Committee were: (i) that Crown Lands should in future be called Crown estate lands and be run by experts with a civil servant as their administrative head;(ii) that a Board of Trustees should replace the three commissioners of Crown Lands, consisting of a chairman and four members, to be subject to public control, to meet regularly, and to replace the Minister of Agriculture as the responsible body;(iii) that the responsible body should not have a special departmental interest in the use or control of land;(iv) that a new Permanent Commissioner of Crown Lands should be appointed at the same time, and that he would be deputy chairman of the Board.