§ 45. General Sir George Jeffreysasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has given further consideration to the objections raised to the proposal to make the whole of the rivers Meon, Itchen and Test main rivers in the Hampshire River Board area; whether, in this connection, he has studied the agreement made by the Minister of Agriculture in 1942 and the report dated 4th March, 1950, of Sir William Gavin's Advisory Committee on these rivers; and whether he will now cause the whole matter to be investigated at a public inquiry.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture (Mr. George Brown)After carefully considering objections to the map defining main river for the Hampshire River Board Area and all other relevant factors, my right hon. Friend has approved the map without amendment. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the hearing of objections at a public local inquiry, for which the Act makes no direct provision in cases of this sort, would have provided no additional information that was relevant to this issue.
§ Sir G. JeffreysWill the hon. Gentleman answer fully the Question that was put down, namely, whether the Minister has studied the agreement made in 1942 and, further, whether the Minister has studied the Report of the Gavin Committee? Will he also state how it is that 2224 the Minister said on a previous occasion that this matter would not be settled except under special circumstances, and what were the special circumstances?
§ Mr. BrownThe answer to the first two parts of the Question is, "Yes." I have answered those, if the hon. and gallant Gentleman will look at the terms of my reply. My right hon. Friend considered all those factors, although neither the Committee to which the hon. and gallant Gentleman referred nor the agreement have any real relevance owing to the situation arising after the passing of the River Board Act.
§ Mr. Peter SmithersWithout expressing any opinion as to the merits of the proposal, may I ask the hon. Gentleman if he is aware that there has been prolonged public controversy on this matter, which could only have been allayed by public inquiry? Why then has he proceeded in this furtive manner during the Recess?
§ Mr. BrownThat, of course, is, as is so often the case, completely off the line. No objection was received from any local or statutory authority on this matter.
§ Mr. R. S. HudsonBut is not the hon. Gentleman aware that, when this River Board was originally set up, during the war, in order to obtain general assent and to allay opposition to it, a gentlemen's agreement was reached by me and by his right hon. Friend the Minister that the main river would not extend beyond Stockbridge? Surely his right hon. Friend is bound by that gentlemen's agreement to this day?
§ Mr. BrownNo, Sir, neither my right hon. Friend nor the right hon. Gentleman. The agreement made then was under the circumstances arising under the Act which set up the catchment boards. When the River Board Act was passed, not during the war but after the war, the whole basis of allocating areas in England and Wales was changed. The whole of England and Wales became subject to river board areas, and therefore there was no point in the gentlemen's agreement.
§ Mr. TurtonBefore taking this unusual step, did the Minister obtain a guarantee from the Hampshire River Board that the rivers would be treated in the manner recommended by the Garvin Report?