§ 32. Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has concerning the land reclamation work undertaken at Inverasdale; and what steps he is taking to collate existing information of similar experiments in view of the importance of land reclamation to the Highlands.
§ Mr. SnaddenMy right hon. Friend has received a report from the Highlands Voluntary Development Association on their work at Inverasdale last year. This work consisted of the cultivation, maintenance and improvement of existing crofts rather than of reclamation. The Department of Agriculture have experience of land reclamation work being done elsewhere and I do not think that special steps of the kind that my noble Friend has in mind are necessary.
§ Lord Malcolm Douglas-HamiltonIs it not the case that over the last 13 years Mr. Rollo has been working in Inverasdale and no member of the Department has 1022 been near his work or examined it during that time? Is it not also the case that this type of work, whether it is on old crofts or reclaiming new land, is valuable as serving as a pattern for future development in the Highlands?
§ Mr. SnaddenWe appreciate very much the work of these students which is carried out on a voluntary basis, but the work that has been done on these crofts is not land reclamation. It consists of ploughing, carting and spreading of farm manure, and so on. In the Question reclamation is referred to: the Departments have already had experience of reclamation in the working of the Marginal Agricultural Production Scheme, and the Hill Farming and Livestock and Rearing Acts, and we do not think that anything further is required.