Soil Survey: Future Funding (Hansard, 29 January 1985)

§ Lord Gainford
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)
My Lords, over the past 12 years the Ministry of Agriculture has funded the work of the Soil Survey at a total cost of approximately £12 million, and we have recently considered what resources should be made available for future work in this area. My right honourable friend announced on 12th January that, while there 564 will be no change in the funding of the survey in 1985–86, the Ministry's commission will be set at half the present level in 1986–87. This is intended to give the survey and the Agricultural and Food Research Council an opportunity to explore the possibility of alternative sources of income for future years.

§ Lord Gainford
My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for that reply. In a Written Answer to an honourable Member in another place about the Soil Survey, the Minister mentioned the publication of maps at a scale of 1:250,000, which is four miles to the inch. Considering the varied geological features of this country, could not Her Majesty's Government encourage those concerned to produce survey maps at a larger scale?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, survey information at greater detail may well be required by a wide range of organisations, and this should offer potential for future funding through commissioned opportunities.

§ Lord Collison
My Lords, is not the noble Lord the Minister aware that his reply will give cause for concern to many people, not only those in research? This is because the work of the survey team is of such importance in classifying the soil. Surely it helps in agriculture to ensure that the right crop goes into the right kind of soil. It also helps the environmentalists and those who are concerned with planning, including the local authorities. Would he not agree that it would be disappointing to learn that this help is not going to continue in the longer term? Would he not agree that, in view of the importance of the work which is being done by the survey team, it should be allowed to continue, with help, into the more distant future?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I agree entirely with the noble Lord, Lord Collison, that a number of organisations, both private and public, make use of survey information: for instance, the water industry, civil engineering and indeed nature conservation. This suggests that scope exists for generating income to cover future operations.

§ Lord Gallacher
My Lords, will the Minister not agree that to be thinking in terms of halving the level of the subsidy in 1986–87 will, unless alternative sources of funding are found, have a very serious effect on the value of the Soil Survey as such? Will he not further agree that this may well coincide with some of the toughest decisions which the Ministry of Agriculture has to take regarding the future of land use in this country, stemming directly from reviews by the European Community of support prices for agriculture?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, may I make it clear that we feel this is an area which ought to be commissioned by those who use the work of the survey? I in no way disagree, on behalf of the Government, with the fact that there are many organisations which are closely interested in the work of the survey. After 1986–87, obviously the Ministry of Agriculture could be a future customer, but no mass funding has actually been committed from that date onwards.

§ Lord Walston
My Lords, in view of the emphasis which is now being placed on the movement of agriculture from solely food production to the general realm of environmental protection, can the Minister assure us that this move will not be jeopardised in any way as a result of the curtailment of the Soil Survey financing?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I see no reason why there should be that jeopardy. I have visited the Soil Survey, and I was shown work which is done for environmental organisations. If that work is of value, as I believe it is, I would envisage that it will be funded in the future.

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, can my noble friend say, in the absence of any private funding of the Soil Survey, what percentage of the staff of the Soil Survey would find their employment curtailed?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, that is a matter for the Agricultural and Food Research Council.