HC Deb 28 November 1949 vol 470 cc768-9
41. Mr. Turton

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the agricultural qualifications of the chief restoration officer of his Department in the North-Eastern Region.

Mr. Gaitskell

The responsibility of this officer is limited to ensuring that the method of restoration, agreed between the farmer concerned and officers of my Ministry and of the Ministry of Agriculture, is followed up to the stage at which the site is handed over to the county agricultural executive committee for cultivation. He has in fact had six years of experience of restoring opencast coal sites in this country, and 16 years' experience in a similar capacity in connection with gravel pits in Australia.

Mr. Turton

Does that mean that this officer has no agricultural qualifications, and does not the Minister think that this important question of what sub-soil is put back for agricultural purposes can only be properly settled by a man with agricultural qualifications?

Mr. Gaitskell

This job seems to require both civil engineering experience and agricultural experience. We provide the civil engineering experience and the Ministry of Agriculture provide the agricultural experience.