Agriculture Act 1970

53 Loans and guarantees by smallholdings authorities

(1) A smallholdings authority may make loans for the purpose of providing working capital for a tenant of a smallholding provided by the authority, or for a person intending to become such a tenant, or may guarantee the repayment of, and the payment of interest on, any loan made for that purpose by another person.

(2) A loan made or guaranteed by a smallholdings authority under this section in respect of a smallholding (or, if two or more loans are so made or guaranteed, the aggregate amount of those loans) shall not exceed three-quarters of the aggregate working capital which in the opinion of the authority is required for the proper working of the smallholding.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, every loan made by a smallholdings authority under this section shall bear interest at a rate of one-half of one per cent, above the rate which, on the date of the agreement to make the loan, is the rate for the time being determined by the Treasury in accordance with section 5 of the [1968 c. 13.] National Loans Act 1968 in respect of local loans made on the security of local rates on that date and for the same period as that loan.

(4) Where, on the date of the agreement for a loan under this section, there are two or more rates of interest for the time being determined by the Treasury as mentioned in subsection (3) of this section, the reference in that section to the rate so determined shall be construed as a reference to such one of those rates as may be specified in a direction given by the Treasury for the purposes of this section.

(5) The Treasury shall cause any direction given under subsection (4) of this section to be published in the London Gazette as soon as may be after giving it.

(6) A smallholdings authority shall not guarantee a loan under this section which bears a rate of interest in excess of the rate which would be chargeable if the loan were made by the authority under this section.

(7) No loan shall be made or guaranteed under this section except in pursuance of an agreement in writing specifying the maximum period of the loan or guarantee and the rate of interest on the loan.

(8) In this section " local loans " and " made on the security of local rates " have the same meanings as in section 6(2) of the [1968 c. 13.] National Loans Act 1968.