§ 30. Mr. J. J. Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has in mind measures for meeting in future the needs of Scotland in the matter of agricultural drainage.
§ Mr. WestwoodYes, Sir, I have had this matter under consideration. In view of the importance to Scottish agriculture of adequate land drainage, I have appointed an independent Committee with the following terms of reference:
To review the operation of drainage schemes carried out in Scotland under the Agriculture Act, 1937, the Land Drainage (Scotland) Acts, the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Acts, and emergency war-time powers; to examine the extent to which further large-scale drainage work is necessary and desirable in the interests of efficient agriculture; and to advise what legislative or other provision should be made to enable such further work to be carried out.With the permission of the House, I am arranging for the names of the members 1278 of the Committee to be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Colonel Gomme-DuncanWould the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that not only large-scale agricultural drainage schemes are to be considered by this committee, since smaller ones are equally important in their way, and in my own case I have been trying for seven years to get one field drained which has been impossible so far because of the lack of labour.
§ Mr. WestwoodNone of these questions will be ruled out of consideration so far as the Committee is concerned.
§ Following are the members of the Committee:
- Joseph Duncan, Esq., LL.D. (Chairman).
- Sir George Campbell, Bt.
- William Graham, Esq., C.B.E.
- George T. McGlashan, Esq.
- Harry H. Nicholson, Esq., M.A.
- Wilson M. Robertson, Esq., F.S.I.
- John Sullivan, Esq.