§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list individually all land drainage schemes undertaken for purposes of land reclamation or improvement since January 1980, their cost and the area of land involved in each case.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsMy recent letter to the hon. Gentleman, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, lists each land drainage scheme carried out406W in Wales since 1980 for which grant was given under the Land Drainage Act 1976. The cost approved for grant and, where the information is available, the area of land benefiting are given for each scheme. None of the schemes approved under the Act was for the purpose of land reclamation as such.
Land drainage schemes for agricultural holdings are eligible for grant under the farm capital grant schemes. Since January 1980 over £14 million in grant has been paid on expenditure of £23.3 million arising from over 8,500 claims. It is not possible for reasons of confidentiality and the large number of claims involved to provide details of individual schemes or of the amount of land benefiting.