§ 26. Sir HUGH LUCAS-TOOTHasked the Minister of Labour whether he has had any communication from the engineer of the Middle Level Drainage authority with regard to employment of unemployed men in drainage schemes; whether he is in touch with the Minister of Agriculture on this matter; and whether he is prepared to give assistance, financial and otherwise, in the direction suggested?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Guinness)I have been asked to reply. I have received an application for financial assistance towards a scheme for the strengthening of the main barrier bank that protects the district of the Middle Level Drainage and Navigation Commissioners. The funds at, my disposal for assisting drainage works of this kind are now fully committed, and I regret, therefore, that I am unable to give the assistance desired.
§ Mr. PALINGDoes this mean that nothing is going to be done in this area or in any other area reported upon by 221 the Drainage Commission until the whore business has been discussed by the Government?
§ Mr. GUINNESSNothing will be decided until we have had an opportunity for full consideration.
§ Mr. PALINGBut is there any possibility of any individual scheme being proceeded with, by reason of the fact that it is very much needed, before a decision has been reached with respect to the whole of the schemes?
§ Mr. GUINNESSOh, yes, schemes will be considered on their merits, and, as a matter of fact, we have recently approved certain further small schemes in addition to those schemes already passed. The whole question depends on the funds available from year to year.
§ Mr. PALINGIn spite of the fact that the whole of the schemes have not been settled, is it the case that if a particular scheme is considered to be sufficiently important there is no reason why it should not be proceeded with?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI cannot hold out any prospect of an immediate decision. We have no funds for the moment. Perhaps next year we may have more funds.
§ Sir H. LUCAS-TOOTHCould the right hon. Gentleman say in regard to the schemes which are being proceeded with where the money is being spent?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI think that is another question.
Captain CROOKSHANKIs it not the fact that a very generous offer was made last year to the Ouse Drainage authorities and that every single one of them petitioned against it?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODCan the right hon. Gentleman say how much the Government have allocated for drainage schemes in England for the year?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is another question.
§ 47. Sir H. LUCAS-TOOTHasked the Minister of Agriculture how much of the million pounds voted by Parliament in 1926 for drainage schemes has actually been spent; how much has been spent in the Middle Level, the South Level, and the rest of the Ouse area, respectively; whether, when the Ouse Drainage Bill 222 was introduced, this fund was closed down; and whether any further grants have been made in the Ouse area since the miscarriage of this Measure?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI am unable to state the amounts actually spent, as these vary from day to day, but the Ministry is committed to the carrying out of schemes involving Government grants estimated at £325,000. Of this amount, the grant to Middle Level works is about £31,000, to South Level works £72,000, and to other parts of the Ouse District £20,000. Apart from this, £625,000 of the original £1,000,000 was ear-marked for works contemplated under the Ouse Bill,, and is still being held in suspense on that account. A special grant from this £625,000, however, estimated at 11,000 has now been provisionally sanctioned to enable the reconstruction of Welmore Lake Sluice, which was one of the works included in the Ouse Bill. This £11,000 is, therefore, additional to the £325,000 above referred to.
§ Sir H. LUCAS-TOOTHDoes that mean that it is my right hon. Friend's intention to introduce the Bill again at a fairly near date?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI am afraid that there is not sufficient prospect of agreement within the area to justify our putting forward this Bill again, and my intention is to await general legislation.
§ Sir H. LUCAS-TOOTHThen may we have some of that 600,600?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI think that, as we could not settle it in this special case, we may have to apply some of this money to the larger scheme.
§ Mr. PALINGIn view of the fact that this scheme has not been dealt with, and that there is £600,000 left, is there any possibility of some other scheme, such as the Doncaster scheme, being carried out within these limits?
§ Mr. GUINNESSIt may well be that this money will be made available for other schemes outside the Ouse area, but until we have been able to give further consideration to the whole problem we are not able to say what will be done.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODWith reference to the statement in the original question, that £1,000,000 was voted by Parliament in 1926, is the right hon. Gentleman 223 aware that all that has been allocated to Scotland, for this same purpose of drainage schemes, is a sum of only 211,000?
§ Mr. GUINNESSI am afraid that there is an error in the question, which I had not previously noticed. The sum voted was not £1,000,000. The actual sum voted in the annual Estimates was a considerably smaller sum. The £1,000,000 was our proposal for the total programme.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that in his original reply the right hon. Gentleman stated that £600,000 had been spent on drainage schemes?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODLet the right hon. Gentleman himself reply.
§ Mr. GUINNESSI understand that in all these cases the Scottish representatives pressed for their eleven-eightieths.
§ Mr. CONNOLLYDid not the right hon. Gentleman promise, a year and nine months ago, to bring in a national scheme?