§ 29. Mr. A. Robertsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to minimise flooding in the Stanley and Methley areas by demolishing the Penbank Weir on the River Calder, which is not required for navigable purposes.
The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. W. M. F. Vane)The Yorkshire Ouse River Board, which is the responsible authority, has started work for the alleviation of flooding at Methley. This work is receiving grant-aid from this Department. I understand from the board that the removal of Pen-bank Weir would have little effect on high flood levels in this area.
§ Mr. RobertsIs the Minister aware that the interested parties many years ago agreed that if this artificial barrier were destroyed it would reduce to some extent the flooding in that part of the country?
Mr. VaneThe river board has looked into this. I understand that this weir is "drowned", as it is technically described, during times of high flood. The lands which are flooded behind the weir are washlands, which, of course, frequently help when there is flooding.
§ Mr. PopplewellWill the Minister cause further inquiry to be made into this, because the information tendered to him is not quite accurate? Is he aware that this weir serves no useful purpose at all and that many acres of land by the river are flooded? Is he aware that farmers who work on the land and market gardeners who have had a very hard job are thoroughly saddened when year by year their crops are ruined? Is he aware that this may be prevented if this weir were destroyed?
Mr. VaneI will look into this matter again, but the hon. Member's information is not entirely the same as mine. The hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. A. Roberts), with whom we have been in correspondence, knows that we have been in close touch with the river board and the local authorities.