§ Dr. Phippsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the approved expenditure for grant aid on land drainage in the United Kingdom for each of the last five years.
§ Mr. BishopGrant aid is payable in respect of expenditure on both arterial drainage and field drainage. As regards arterial drainage, my right hon. Friend's responsibilities are limited to work carried out by drainage authorities in England and Wales. The arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are different and make it impracticable to provide a United Kingdom figure.
The approved expenditure on arterial drainage and sea defence on which grant aid was payable in England and Wales—excluding the Thames tidal defences—was:
£,000 1972–73 13,370 1973–74 16,140 1974–75 15,370 The approved expenditure on field drainage on which grant aid was payable in the United Kingdom was:
£,000 1972–73 18,950 1973–74 23,500 1974–75 28,110 1975–76 32,830 1976–77 33,830