§ Lord ELTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the high level of unemployment in Wales, the Secretary of State will direct the Welsh Development Agency to expand its land reclamation programme in concert with the current jobs Creation Programme.
§ The LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, the Welsh Development Agency has already been authorised by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales to accelerate the substantial land reclamation programme announced last October; and on 1st April 1976 it announced a short-term supplementary 1340 programme of 28 schemes costing £2.7 million which would start this financial year. Where it has proved possible to combine land reclamation and environmental improvement schemes with projects being carried out as part of the Job Creation Programme, the Agency has co-operated fully and will continue to do so.
§ Lord ELTONMy Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord for that helpful reply. Will he agree that there is a power under Section 7 of the Welsh Development Act for the Minister to use his powers under Section 7 of the Industry Act in fact to finance operations such as this, not merely by its own hand, as it were, but also through such agencies as the National Coal Board? Does he agree that the acreage of land falling into dereliction is at present in excess of that which is being reclaimed, and will he advise the Minister to use this means of accelerating the programme still further to create more jobs?
§ The LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord. I am aware of that power. It will be used by the Welsh Development Agency within the limits of the resources available.
Lord WALLACE of COSLANYMy Lords, could my noble and learned friend say how much of this land will be used for food production and particularly for the provision of additional allotment gardens for the people?
§ The LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, the precise details of the use of the land reclaimed is not immediately at my finger tips, but I have little doubt that those two considerations so dear to the heart of my noble friend will be borne in mind.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, is there not a risk that accelerating these schemes in Wales, rather than helping unemployment in Wales, will simply attract more workers from the Republic of Ireland?
§ The LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I hope that the process of land reclamation will involve more employment. I think there are competent Welshmen capable of reclaiming land.