§ Brigadier-General Clifton Brownasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a certain contractor, presumably by orders of a branch of the Air Ministry, of which he has been informed, has done considerable damage to some 60 acres of growing crops of wheat, barley, oats and seeds, by dumping poles and timber for making obstructions and crushing crops down by his motor-lorries without giving notice to the owner or to the local member of the war agricultural committee; and whether he will take steps to see that the orders he gave last July are still adhered to, as stated in his answer on 9th July 1940?
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Captain BalfourI have made investigations into the case referred to by my lion and gallant Friend in his Question, and I regret to say that the instructions issued last July, and which still stand, were overlooked in this instance. I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that every effort will continue to be made to avoid such occurrences in the future and to ensure that proper consultation takes place with owners of land and local war agricultural interests.