44. Mr. WILLIAMSalso asked the Minister of Agriculture what provisions are laid down, if any, before spending national funds for the improvement of privately-owned land with regard to the future use of the land and regarding restrictions on the rent after improvement respectively?
Mr. GUINNESSThe only expenditure of the Ministry of the nature referred to by the hon. Member is in connection with the grants in aid of drainage schemes for the relief of unemployment. In these cases it is estimated that, owing to the conditions under which the work is carried out, the land is not likely to be increased in value by more than the amount of the cost falling on the owners and, consequently, no provisions of the kind he suggests have been considered necessary.
Mr. WILLIAMSCan the right hon. Gentleman say how the land will be used after the drainage schemes have been carried out?
Mr. GUINNESSPresumably it will enable the land to be cultivated, and without public assistance, some of this drainage would not in itself be economic under present marketing conditions. Without it the land would have gone out of cultivation.
§ Mr. D. HERBERTIs it not the case that this expenditure is very largely for the purpose of removing a nuisance to the land in question, which is not the fault of the landowners, that is to say, clearing and making efficient the watercourses, which are not privately owned by them?
Mr. WILLIAMSSince the land is privately owned, is it not the duty of the private landowner to remove any nuisance that there may be on it?
Mr. GUINNESSNo, because it is not in the power of the individual landowner to do so. None of these schemes are for the benefit of one landowner; they are always combined schemes which cannot be carried out without public action.
§ Mr. THURTLEWill not the effect of these combined drainage schemes be to enhance the value of the land of these landowners?
Mr. GUINNESSNot even in proportion to the amount which the landowner has to contribute. The reason why no provision is made for taking control of the land is that it is believed, and it is borne out by experience, that the landowner does not raise his rent even by the amount which represents the 1522 interest on the capital which he has to contribute towards the drainage.
§ Mr. MACLEANWhat proportion of the expenditure is borne by the landowner, and what proportion by public funds?
§ Mr. MACLEANCan the right hon. Gentleman give us an actual statement as to what it is, if not now, later on?
§ Mr. MACLEANI will give you notice.