§ 15. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will cause an inquiry to be held into the harmful effect on agriculture and horticulture of the heavy cement dust deposits over a wide area of North-West Kent in recent months with a view to taking action designed to reduce the losses to farmers, nurserymen, smallholders and allotment keepers and gardeners.
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Sir Thomas Dugdale)No, Sir. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government has explained to the hon. Member, on 24th March and on 14th April, the measures that are being taken to reduce the discharge of this cement dust.
§ Mr. DoddsIn view of the bitter protests that have been made by nurserymen and farmers and of the vital necessity of obtaining more food, would not the Minister himself, purely as a piece of private enterprise, look into this problem and reassure those who are producing food that they will secure protection from the Ministry of Agriculture?
§ Sir T. DugdaleWe know the problem quite well without any further inquiry into it. It is true that the weather during March helped in the accumulation of deposits of this dust, but the effect on agriculture itself is by way of reducing the marketing qualities of the produce rather than of direct damage, though dust of this kind on glasshouses is harmful to plant growth.