§ Mr. TOWNLEYasked the Minister of Agriculture whether any objections have been lodged by agricultural ratepayers in connection with the Welland drainage scheme; whether the local inquiry into the scheme was conducted by the gentleman who was responsible for the drafting of it; what other drainage schemes have been prepared by the same individual; and how many of them are likely to be put into operation, stating the approximate cost to the taxpayers and to the ratepayers in each case?
Sir A. BOSCAWEN1. Memorials have been presented by owners of approximately 5,000 acres of agricultural land out of the 100,000 acres affected by the444W Order, which will consequently have to be submitted to Parliament for confirmation.
2. The Commissioner who held the public inquiry was responsible to my predecessor for the preparation of the original draft of the Order, but his responsibility in the matter ceased about 18 months before the draft Order was first deposited, when he ceased to be a whole-time officer of the Ministry.
3. Numerous Drainage Orders were prepared while this officer was in charge of the Ministry's drainage administration, and have since become law. Two Orders have, however, been dropped, namely, the Loddon and Blackwater Order and the Yorkshire Ouse Order, owing to other action being taken locally, while two further Orders, namely, the Welland and the East Norfolk Rivers, will, I hope, become law during the present Session. These Orders are being proceeded with in response to petitions or requests received from county councils and other public bodies.
4. The preparation and making of Orders involves no ultimate charge on public funds beyond the cost of such staff as the Ministry is bound to maintain for the performance of its statutory duties under the Land Drainage Acts.
5. The cost to the ratepayers arising out of the operation of any Order cannot be stated, as it is entirely within the discretion of the Drainage Board, who have a free hand in that respect, subject to the sanction of the Ministry being obtained to any borrowing on the security of the rates which they are empowered to levy.