HC Deb 04 December 1962 vol 668 cc1128-9
23. Mr. Mackie

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what action he has taken following the representations made to him on 19th July by the Farm Buildings Association, on the setting up of a farm buildings research station.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

I am awaiting a further communication, which I understood the hon. Member was going to send me following our discussion on 19th July amplifying the Association's views and saying whether these have the support of other interested organisations.

Mr. Mackie

I must apologise to the hon. Gentleman for not sending him that information, but I thought that at the time of the meeting he had been given sufficient to chew on for a month or two. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this body, which he kindly met, is the only one which has carried out serious research into agricultural buildings? Because of the amount of public and private money being spent it is essential that he should take the advice of a body which has studied the matter and not the advice of bodies like the National Farmers' Union and the C.L.A. who, although they have a wide interest in it, have not gone into this matter so closely, as the hon. Gentleman must have appreciated after the meeting in July.

Mr. Freeth

One of the points which arose in July was the extent of the support which the Association of which the hon. Gentleman is a member receives from the other two bodies.

Mr. J. H. Osborn

Is not this something which the Building Research Station might consider?

Mr. Freeth

This would be possible, but one is, after all, dealing with farm buildings designed for specific purposes, and I think that the Agricultural Research Council is doing a lot of good work on this front.

Mr. Mitchison

Ought not the hon. Gentleman to do a bit of Empire building among the pig sties in this matter and really get down to seeing that the research work is done? It is a special business.

Mr. Freeth

We have a Committee under a very eminent chairman, Sir Walter Drummond, specifically to advise the Agricultural Research Council on this subject.