§ 36. Mr. SIMMasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if any Report has been made as to the amount of agricultural land in need of new drainage; and if he will state the acreage capable of improvement throughout England generally, and the amount in the counties of Durham and Northumberland?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe Board have received numerous reports from agricultural executive committees as to the amount of agricultural land in their respective counties which is in need of improved arterial drainage. These reports do not exhaust the whole of the areas in which this need is felt, but the Board believe the total area capable of improvement in this way to be over 1,000,000 acres. They have no precise figures for the counties of Durham and Northumberland.
§ Sir O. THOMASDoes the hon. and gallant Gentleman, in that estimate, take into account land reclamation?
§ Colonel BURDONI should like to ask how much of that estimate applies to the county of Durham, and how much to the county of Northumberland?