§ 25. Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider setting up a Clyde River catchment board to assemble hydro-graphic data and recommend measures to avert or control flooding of adjacent farm and horticultural land.
§ Mr. SnaddenI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his suggestion, but my right hon. Friend thinks it would be premature to consider setting up such a board until further progress has been made on the general question of land drainage legislation.
§ Mr. MaitlandWhile thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, might I ask him whether any steps have been taken now to assemble scientific and hydrographic data about flooding in the Clyde Valley?
§ Mr. SnaddenNo, Sir, nothing has been done in respect of the Clyde Valley, because in this field our skilled and trained staff is very small and has been almost wholly occupied in the Spey Valley survey. However, I have my hon. Friend's point in mind.
§ Mr. MaitlandWill my hon. Friend take steps to ensure that such data are collected, because this is an urgent and pressing problem about which there is very strong local feeling?