§ 38. Mr. Manuelasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total acreage in Scotland rendered unfit for arable use by reason of recurrent flooding.
§ Mr. LeburnNo precise information is available, but in its Report in 1950 the Duncan Committee estimated that about 200,000 acres of arable land were 1242 adversely affected in varying degrees by inadequate arterial drainage.
§ Mr. ManuelDoes not the Under-Secretary agree that this is a deplorable loss to agricultural resources? Further, does he agree that it is very necessary that we should have adequate land drainage so that we can boost agricultural production in Scotland and make things much better for people living in the rural areas?
§ Mr. LeburnI agree that it would be highly desirable, but at the same time I think that we had better see how the Land Drainage (Scotland) Act, 1958, gets on.
§ Mr. ManuelIt is not getting on at all—[Interruption.]