54. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the large amount of waste land, amounting to several million acres throughout all parts of the country which is being made no use of, he will consider having a survey made with a view to the utilisation of the more favourable portions of this land for increased food production.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsNo, Sir, such a survey has already been made. The National Farm Survey of 1941–43 showed that there was less than a quarter of a million acres of enclosed land in England and Wales which was not being utilised for agriculture and was lying more or less idle; such of this land as is suitable for the purpose has, for the most part, subsequently been brought into cultivation. There are also some 5½million acres of unenclosed rough hill grazings, but these grazings are used for sheep and store cattle, which, in the main, represents their most economic use. The diversion on a large scale of labour, machinery and materials in short supply to marginal or rough grazing land from more productive land would, on balance, involve a loss of food production.
Mr. De la BèreMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman, leaving on one side the question of rough land and marginal land, if he is aware that within a hundred miles of London—North, South, East and. West—there are many thousand of acres of really good land, which are not being utilised for food production?
§ Mr. WilliamsI am not aware of that.