COASTAL FLOODING (ACREAGE PAYMENTS) (Hansard, 17 December 1956)

§ Mr. A. J. Champion (Derbyshire, South-East)

This is the last of a series of schemes designed to deal with a great disaster which overtook the country some three years ago. The nation rightly brought aid to those so hardly hit by this inundation, and I take this opportunity of paying tribute to those who administer the Act which this House so rightly passed.

I would pay tribute to the Ministers, too. They do not get very much of that these days. I feel that it is due to them on this account, and it is certainly due to those in the country who had to administer the Act which we passed and the various schemes which have been approved by the House. I felt it right to pay that brief tribute to those concerned when we were considering the final scheme under the Act.

Before we part with the Scheme, I should like to hear from the Joint Parliamentary Secretary the estimate of its cost, of the acreages which will qualify for payments under the four heads set out in the second Schedule to the Scheme, and how the final Scheme compares with the first in respect of cost. I should particularly like to know how much has been paid out, and, also, how many acres have been dealt with under these excellent schemes, which have brought succour to many people who needed it in the circumstances caused by the disastrous flood.

§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. G. R. H. Nugent)

I thank the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Champion) for his kind tribute to the administrators in the field who have had the responsibility of administering the schemes over the past four years. I know that they will be grateful for his kind words. I should like to add my tribute to his. These people have had many difficulties to overcome.

1061 This has been, fortunately for us, a relatively new activity, and we have had many new techniques to learn. I am sure that those concerned will be most appreciative of the fact that a message should go forth from this House paying tribute to their work. I need hardly say that I am as pleased as I am surprised by the tribute paid to the Ministers as well.

The hon. Gentleman asked for some figures, and they may be of interest to the House. In February, 1953, about 150,000 acres were flooded and, as we judged, damaged. The first scheme cost about £¼ million and applied to the whole of the 150.000 acres. The second Scheme, in 1954, applied to about 135,000 acres and cost approximately £1 million. The third Scheme, in 1955, cost £780,000 and applied to approximately 100,000 acres. The fourth Scheme, in 1956—the year we are completing now—applied to about 70,000 acres—that is, under half the original acreage, and we estimate that it will cost about £450,000.

We estimate that the fifth Scheme, that now before the House, will apply to about 20.000 acres and will cost approximately £135,000. Therefore, the total cost up to the end of this year is about £3½ million, plus the estimated cost of the 1957 Scheme. The rates of payment are slightly reduced for this year.

I think we may say, in parting from these Schemes—I hope, for ever; at any 1062 rate, for our lifetime—that we have met a completely new situation in facing this huge area of flood-damaged and salt-damaged land. We were greatly helped by the Dutch scientists, who, for their misfortune, have all too much experience of this sort of thing. We had difficulty in adapting their techniques to our heavier soils, but our scientists have been successful in doing it, and our advisory officers have been most successful in helping farmers to apply the techniques.

The farmers had a very stiff, difficult and depressing job in the early days, but gradually, year by year, they have seen their fields improve. The crops on them have been improving, and there has gradually come about almost complete restoration over most of the land. In fact, one can say that by the end of this year the greater part of it will be almost fully restored; and by the end of next year I think that, except for a few fields here and there, it will be restored. In the case of the few fields that remain, we can help by means of such schemes as the Marginal Production Scheme.

Therefore, as we part from these schemes, I think we can say that we, as a Government, greatly assisted at the time by Her Majesty's Opposition, have faithfully met a most serious crisis, and have helped those who suffered to restore their land to normal production. We have given those people the means to do it and they have taken full advantage of it, and the result is a credit to all concerned.