§ 51. Mr. de Rothschildasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that many internal drainage boards are unable to embark upon urgently necessary works of a capital nature owing to the impossibility of finding the necessary finance, and of the circumstances of the catchment boards, which prevent them from giving relief to the internal boards, either by a reduction of precept or by way of financial grants under Section 21 of the Land Drainage Act, 1930, he will consider amending that Act to enable him to make direct grants in appropriate cases in internal drainage boards towards expenditure on capital works such as are now made to catchment boards under Section 55 of the Act?
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. W. S. Morrison)I would refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave on 8th April to a question on this subject by my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr. Liddall), to which I am not at present in a position to add.