§ Mr. Maxwellasked the Minister of Transport whether he will suggest to county councils the importance of timing their work on roads in rural areas to coincide with the periods of the year when there is least work available in agriculture, thereby spreading the demand for labour in those areas more evenly throughout the year?
§ Mr. BurginCounty councils are already aware of the desirability of timing work on roads in rural areas so as to coincide so far as possible with slack periods in agriculture. Road construction, however, is dependent to a large extent on weather conditions, and unfortunately the most suitable times for the execution of road works, from the point of view of efficiency as well as that of economy, happen to be those that are most favourable to agriculture.