HC Deb 28 April 1926 vol 194 cc2040-2W
Captain GUEST

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether he is aware of any large acreage of land in this country suitable for improvement, and whether he can give estimates of the amount of labour which could be employed on any such scheme, and tae net loss to the State of undertaking it;

(2) whether he can give any estimate of reclaimable or improvable land in Great Britain under the following heads: land reclaimable on the foreshore; land reclaimable by drainage; and land, now waste, reclaimable by clearance?

Mr. GUINNESS:

I am afraid it is impossible, without a special survey, to give even an approximate estimate of the land in this country that is capable of reclamation, or of being improved fir agricultural purposes except by drainage, which is dealt with below. Towards the end of the War a rough survey was carried out which revealed considerable areas in different parts of the country which were either littoral tracts reclaimable from the sea by embankment, or inland areas of hog or heathland, at present derelict or practically derelict, and reclaimable by drainage or clearing operations. The question of dealing with such areas has been exhaustively considered from time to time, chiefly in connection with unemployment relief, and actual work was started and finished at Wainfleet in Lincolnshire, where, in 1919, a small area was reclaimed from the seashore. The original intention to enclose a much larger area was abandoned in the interests of national economy owing to the excessive cost of reclamation. More recently schemes of land reclamation have been undertaken at Meathop Marsh in Morecambe Bay and at Wingland on the Wash, near King's Lynn. The results of these three schemes do not permit of a satisfactory estimate of the net loss to the State of reclamation generally, but I have come to the conclusion that at the present time reclamation in every sense of the word is uneconomic for agricultural purposes on a profit and loss basis.

With regard to the area in this country which is capable of improvement by arterial drainage, followed up where necessary by the usual field drainage, the Ministry has recently collected information on this subject from which it is clear that some 1,200,000 acres are in urgent need of drainage, while nearly 500,000 further acres are capable of improvement. I hope that a considerable, amount of improvement will be effected during the next five years in connection with the Ministry's scheme for State aided drainage works which has already been announced.

Captain GUEST

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give a list of schemes of land reclamation undertaken since 1920 in Great Britain, giving a profit-and-loss account on the more important schemes; the number of men employed: the average reclaimed; and the method of its disposal?

Mr. GUINNESS:

Only two schemes of land reclamation have been undertaken since 1920. In the first. place an area of approximately 465 acres was enclosed at Meathop Marsh in Morecambe Bay as part of a drainage scheme carried out for the relief of unemployment. As this scheme was part and parcel of a drainage scheme; I am afraid it is impossible to afford the precise information required as regards the number of men employed. The approximate cost, however, of the reclamation portion of the scheme was £34,000, and from a reclamation point of view this may be regarded as an entirely favourable scheme owing to the depth of land reclaimed by the length of sea bank. The owners of the land in question will remain in possession of it, as they will be charged with their share of the cost of reclaiming, apart from the Government's contribution.

The other scheme was one undertaken by the Commissioners of Crown Lands and now approaching completion at Wingland on the shores of the Wash in the vicinity of King's Lynn. In this case the area reclaimed amounts to 350 acres, the cost of reclaiming will amount to approximately £18,000, and the number of men employed has varied between 20 and 50. The land remains in possession of the Crown and will be let to agricultural tenants. Further expenditure estimated at£8,000 will have to be incurred on equipment, water supply and under draining.