38. Mr. Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has given consideration to the suggestion of the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor to implement some of the recommendations of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in an experimental scheme in mid-Wales; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeThe Panel on Marginal Land suggested, in the council's first Memorandum, that a survey should be made of a marginal land area in mid-Wales, possibly with the assistance of the Welsh Sub-Commission of the Agricultural Land Commission. In accordance with paragraph 22 of the Government's White Paper on Rural Wales40W the Government have decided to ask the sub-commission to investigate the best use of land in rural Wales, and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries announced a few days ago that the sub-commission had been asked, under Section 68 (1) of the Agriculture Act, 1947, to examine a particular area in mid-Wales. This area includes some of the land mentioned by the council in its first memorandum; it covers 22 parishes and about 300,000 acres of land typical of the problems the Council for Wales and Monmouth had in mind.
§ Mr. Gowerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is proposed to institute a limited pilot scheme in the Welsh rural areas, along the lines of the main recommendations of the Council for Wales in their last Report, Command Paper No. 8844.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to a Question by the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Watkins).