§ 23. Mr. Lyellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy not to approve drainage schemes without a comprehensive independent analysis of the costs and benefits net of subsidies and taking account of amenity and conservation effects.
§ Mrs. FennerApplications for grant on arterial drainage schemes are required to be accompanied by detailed cost-benefit assessments showing they are economically worth while. Intangible aspects, such as the effects on amenity and conservation, which cannot be quantified in detailed cost-benefit assessments are carefully considered in the Ministry's overall assessment of the scheme. While we are constantly reviewing the methods that are used for cost-benefit assessment the use of shadow prices for all costs and benefits would seem difficult to justify in practice.