HC Deb 24 June 1969 vol 785 cc1211-3
Q4. Mr. Marten

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the effect of flooding on agricultural land, he will transfer the overall responsibility for dealing with the problems to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The Prime Minister

Responsibility for land drainage and for the flood protection activities of river and other drainage authorities already rests with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Although these matters are kept under continuous review, I do not think that it would be appropriate to give to my right hon. Friend responsibility for all the functions which could be relevant to flooding.

Mr. Marten

Nevertheless, in view of the serious flood damage to agriculture last year, and as we appear to be in a cycle of wet summers, does not the right hon. Gentleman think it worth having some sort of review of flooding problems and control and of the conservation of water?

The Prime Minister

In the light of the problems to which the hon. Gentleman has referred, I have reviewed the machinery. The hon. Gentleman will recall that in certain recent floods the biggest problems were not in rural but in urban areas. When the matter was raised in the House not long ago, I think it was the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart) who said that because flooding has become an urban rather than a rural problem he thought that the Ministry of Agriculture's responsibilities should be decreased rather than increased. I think that the present division of functions is right, because it is essential that local authorities should be able to move quickly. That is why my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government has overall charge except for the cases I have referred to.

Mr. Ellis

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that the main case is for one Minister to have overall responsibility, whoever he may be? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Ministries of Agriculture, Housing, Education and Science and the Home Office have an interest, along with the Meteorological Office under the Ministry of Defence? In these circumstances, rather than naming an individual Minister, would it not be better for my right hon. Friend to appoint one Minister with overall responsibility?

The Prime Minister

The Ministerial Committee on Emergencies is a longstanding arrangement under successive Governments and takes charge completely. My right hon. Friend and I answered Questions in the House about the problem of communicating more urgently than heretofore, both to river authorities and to local authorities, any views that the Meteorological Office may have on impending flood problems.

Mr. Godber

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the very serious results not only from flooding but from the waterlogging of vast areas of agricultural land this spring? Could the Government not give some practical aid to help farmers overcome this problem?

The Prime Minister

The right hon. Gentleman is referring to a problem that has occurred not only this spring but over very many years and under very many Governments. This is why I do not propose to remove from the Minister of Agriculture, as some have suggested, the power he has in this matter. The question of waterlogging, as opposed to the kind of disastrous floods that we had in February, is a separate problem. I agree that it is important.

Sir D. Renton

Arising out of the Prime Minister's answer to the Question of my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten), may I ask whether he is aware that urban development, by creating large, fresh, hard surfaces, often increases agricultural flooding? Is it not therefore essential that there should be co-ordination of drainage, both for urban and agricultural land?

The Prime Minister

The hon. Baronet's Question is highly relevant here. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government is giving advice to local planning authorities on that very point.