§ 54. Mr. Mitchisonasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that more than £400 has been raised in East Haddon for a village war memorial playing field and that the parish council's proposal to use five acres for the purpose has the support of the owner of the land and of all the necessary authorities except the county agricultural executive committee; and whether he will now authorise the release of the land so that the villagers may have somewhere to play cricket and football and the village children somewhere else than the public road to play in.
§ Mr. G. BrownThis matter is under consideration by the Northampton Agricultural Executive Committee, whose views I am awaiting. I will see that a decision is reached at the earliest possible moment and communicate with my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. MitchisonIs my hon. Friend aware that unless some agricultural land is released in or around this village, there will be no playground for the children other than the public road, and the inhabitants will have no playing field?
§ Mr. BrownThe issue in this case is not whether the land can he acquired for use as playing fields as a long-term matter, because that is agreed; the question is, having regard to the need for food, whether we can let the land go? That is the matter now under consideration, and I will have a word about it with my hon. Friend later.
§ Sir W. WakefieldIs it not a fact that a playing field used as this is intended to be used could be very fruitful in the production of food by grazing, and why cannot the Minister deal with it in that way?
§ Mr. BrownIt is a question of balancing all the considerations, and that is precisely what we are now doing.