§ 72. Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has completed his study of the Aberystwyth inquiry into the Rural Development Board; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. George ThomasMy right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I have completed our study of the report of this inquiry and a letter conveying our decisions is being sent to the interested parties. I have arranged for copies of the report and the letter to be sent to the hon. Member.
The report concludes that the proposed area of the board, regarded as a whole, contains the problems and needs for which a rural development board is designed and could profit from the operations of a board. It suggests, however, that there is a case for modifying the area originally proposed so as to exclude certain portions amounting to about one-eighth of it. My right hon. Friend and I accept these suggestions and we intend, after completing the statutory processes relating to a modification of the area, to seek the authority of Parliament to establish a rural development board accordingly.