§ 75. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for Scotand to what extent, outside the Western Isles, private contractors are now carrying on the work formerly done by direct labour under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture; and what plans he has to abandon direct labour and sell by auction the excavators owned by this Department.
§ Mr. RossBetween 1961 and 1964 the proportion of grant-aided drainage schemes on the mainland of Scotland undertaken by my Department's machinery service fell from 38 per cent. to 17 per cent.
As machines become redundant they are being advertised for sale and it is intended on completion of existing commitments to discontinue the Department's machinery service and dispose of all surplus plant and stores. I expect that disposal arrangements will be completed by the end of the current financial year.