§ 7. Mr. Kershawasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to he able to authorise the Elmore Back Pumping Scheme, so as to relieve serious flood damage being caused in the Elmore area.
Mr. AmoryI am sorry I cannot yet say when it will be possible to approve the scheme referred to by my hon. Friend. As with many other desirable drainage schemes, approval has had to be deferred in accordance with the Government's general policy of restricting capital expenditure.
§ Mr. KershawI appreciate the difficulties in which my right hon. Friend finds himself regarding these large schemes of drainage, but does he appreciate that the position is more difficult for the farmers involved, because if an individual farmer were involved, and wished to undertake these schemes, without doubt he would get an allowance of 33⅓ per cent, under the terms of the new White Paper; but because a scheme is too large for him to undertake by himself, he gets nothing?
Mr. AmoryI am very anxious to get on with these drainage improvement schemes as fast as possible. I am carefully considering the question of most urgent priority for them, and I look forward with confidence to the day when we shall be able to remove all the present restrictions on these desirable developments.