§ Sir H. Williamsasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he was consulted before it was decided by the War Office to requisition 36 square miles of agricultural land in East Anglia?
Mr. HudsonYes, Sir, and the loss to food production was stressed. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War satisfied me however that it was absolutely essential in the interests of 2163W Army training that an area should be provided and no other area of land of lower agricultural value in the vicinity was suitable for War Office requirements.
§ Mr. Thorneasked the Secretary of State for War whether he can give any information in connection with the Government taking over some villages and 15 farms covering 6,000 acres in East Anglia; whether he is aware that it will mean the loss to the nation of crops and 60,000 gallons of milk and thousands of eggs a year; how that loss of milk will be made up; and, as the Government are making a plea to farmers to cultivate another 6,000,000 acres which will save 500,000 tons of shipping, will he reconsider this proposed requisition?
§ Sir J. GriggI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eye (Mr. Granville) on 23rd June, of which I am sending him a copy. I regret that I cannot reconsider my decision.