§ 43. Mr. BLACKasked the Minister of Agriculture exactly how many acres are to be reclaimed from the Wash for the outlay stated of £32,000; whether the land when reclaimed will have a market value of anything like the cost; what the ultimate loss to the taxpayers will be; and how many unemployed persons will be engaged upon the work?
§ The MINISTER, of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Noel Buxton)It is proposed to reclaim about 390 acres, which are unlikely, when reclaimed, to have a market value equal to the cost of reclamation. At this stage it is very difficult to estimate what the loss, if any, will be. With regard to the last part, I anticipate that not fewer than 200 men recruited from the unemployed will be required.
§ Mr. BLACKWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the amount of the loss will be more than the cost of keeping those men as unemployed without work?
§ Mr. BUXTONI can only express the hope that it will not.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir F. HALLI beg the right hon. Gentleman's pardon. Is this the plan the Government have got for finding work for the unemployed?