45. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Prime Minister whether he will find time for the Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for Evesham relating to electricity for rural areas?
§ [That this House views with grave concern the large number of agricultural holdings with no supply of electricity from mains systems and the fact that 90 per cent. of such holdings remain without electricity supply of any kind and have 1135 small chance of obtaining supplies for many years; and, having regard to the importance of farm electrification as a means of contributing to the efficiency of production in times of peace and to increasing such productivity in times of emergency, and appreciating the hardship imposed on farm workers compelled to live without the amenities afforded by electricity, whilst such advantage is enjoyed by the majority of town dwellers, thus accentuating the drift of the rural population from the land to the urban areas, is of the opinion that early and drastic steps should be taken to deal with this defect and in particular to accelerate such remedy by making available for rural electrification work large amounts of Government guaranteed capital and detailing for the work large numbers of unemployed persons and, hi particular, unemployed miners.']
§ The Prime MinisterI fear I can hold out no hope of time being found for discussion of the Motion standing in the name of my hon. Friend.
Mr. De la BèreIs my right hon. Friend aware that the former Minister of Transport had in the pigeon-holes of the Ministry a Bill dealing with this matter, and can ray right hon. Friend tell us whether this Bill is likely to be introduced in the near future?
§ The Prime MinisterI said that I did not think there would be time for this.