§ 1. Sir G. de Freitasasked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he has completed his study of the desirability of building a barrage across The Wash to turn it into a large freshwater reservoir to serve the dry counties of the East Midlands and of East Anglia; and whether he will make a statement.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources (Mr. Arthur Skeffington)Not yet, Sir. The Water Resources Board has been asked to consider the Wash scheme in the context of its South-East studies as a whole and to give its advice as soon as possible. Until my right hon. Friends have received that advice it would be wrong to take a decision one way or the other about a feasibility study. The Board's study is making good progress.
§ Sir G. de FreitasWill the Minister do all he can to see that there is no avoidable delay because, although we have a lot of lovely rain, this area—Anglia and the East Midlands—at any time can suffer from a severe shortage of water?
§ Mr. SkeffingtonMy right hon. Friend is very well aware of the urgency about the position on this scheme, particularly in East Anglia.