§ 62. Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the acreage of suitable farming land at present being used, or scheduled for use for opencast mining and by the Service Departments, respectively; and what percentage of the total area under cultivation these acreages represent.
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§ Mr. T. WilliamsSome 25,500 acres of agricultural land in England and Wales were under requisition for opencast coal mining operations on 31st October, which represents about 0.08 per cent. of the total area under grass and crops (including rough grazing). As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Fuel and Power said in reply to a Question on 20th November, it is expected that a further area of about 50,000 acres will be needed up to the end of 1951, but it is not possible to say how much of this additional acreage will be in England and Wales. The area of land in England and Wales now held by the Service Departments, which is suitable for some kind of agricultural use, mostly rough grazing, is about 700,000 acres, representing 2.3 per cent. of the total area under grass and crops (including rough grazing). The permanent requirements of the Service Departments for land will be dealt with in the White Paper shortly to be published.