§ 19. Mr. Willeyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what progress has been made with the geological survey of the United Kingdom; and whether he will now say when this survey will be completed.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works (Mr. J. R. Bevins)During 1955, 346 square miles of primary geological survey were completed: an additional 249 square miles were covered by re-survey. As I told the hon. Member last year, it is impossible to say when the survey will be completed.
§ Mr. WilleyDoes the Minister not agree that it is about time he could say? It is a very important matter.
§ Mr. BevinsIt is indeed a very important matter, but the work will not be completed in the lifetime of either the hon. Member or myself.
Mr. LeeIs the hon. Gentleman aware that after the Government cut the grant to the D.S.I.R. in 1952 that Department had to report that the geological survey would not be completed for 100 years? Can the Minister say whether we can hope for a date a little nearer than that?
§ Mr. BevinsIt is quite possible that the survey will not be completed for a century. Indeed, the probability is that it will never be completed because of the need for revision and for the examination of deeper and deeper strata as time goes on.
§ 20. Mr. Willeyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, how much was spent during 14 1954–55 in the course of the geological survey on its deep-boring programme.
§ Mr. Bevins£18,041.
§ Mr. WilleyWould the Minister not agree that it is disastrous to cut the sum like this? Is it not a paltry amount to pay? Is it not a fact that as long as we are spending a sum like this on such an important matter the Minister, of course, will not be able to say when the work will be completed?
§ Mr. BevinsIt is perfectly true that the expenditure last year was less than the year before, but about £55,000 has already been spent in the financial year 1955–56.
Mr. LeeCould the Minister obtain information from the D.S.I.R. about its calculations? Is he not aware that this is a fearfully important matter in view of the shortage of materials throughout the world? Could he not obtain an estimate of when the Department will complete a survey which was started when the Labour Government were in office?
§ Mr. BevinsI have already answered that question. The initial survey is not likely to be completed for at least 100 years. Moreover, in the course of time, new techniques will be devised and it will become necessary to examine deeper and deeper strata. That work will go on in perpetuity.