§ 11 Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what steps he is taking to secure the availability of coal, iron ore, sand and gravel, and oil for the needs of the community.
§ Mr. WilleyI am considering how information about the location and accessibility of minerals should be collated and supplemented so that we may have a comprehensive picture of these resources.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterSince the right hon. Gentleman refers to information, how does he square that view of his responsibilities with the view given by the Prime Minister on 26th November, when he stated that the right hon. Gentleman was responsible for the availability of natural resources for the use of the community?
§ Mr. WilleyInformation is necessary before one can determine availability.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs the right hon. Gentleman in a position to say, as asked in the Question, what steps he is taking, 838 having got the information, to secure availability?
§ Mr. WilleyCertainly. What has surprised me—and I am surprised that it has not surprised the right hon. Gentleman—is how few steps have been taken in the past to provide information about the accessibility of the mineral resources of this country. This is what I intend to remedy.