§ MR. BAUMANN (Camberwell, Peckham)asked the honourable Member for Manchester (South), Chairman of the Ventilation Committee, Whether the temporary but effective measures for preventing, as much as possible, the air of the Palace of Westminster from being contaminated with sewer gas emanating from the low level sewer of the main drainage of the Metropolis, adverted to in the interim Report of the Committee, will be carried out during the Easter Recess?
§ SIR HENRY ROSCOE (Manchester, S.), in reply, said, that the Committee on the Ventilation of the House brought under the notice of the proper officer of Her Majesty's Board of Works the desirability of at once carrying out the temporary measures referred to in the interim Report of the Committee for effectually preventing the air of the Palace of Westminster from being contaminated with sewer gas emanating from the low 9 level sewer of the main drainage of the Metropolis, and they had received the assurance of that officer that the proposed measures could, in his opinion, be executed before the House re-assembled after the Easter Recess. They had, moreover, reason to believe that the Board of Works did not look otherwise than favourably on the proposal.
§ MR. BAUMANNsaid, what he wanted to know was not whether the works could be done, but whether they would be done?
§ SIR HENRY ROSCOEsaid, that the Committee had no power to order the works to be carried out.
MR. LEVESON GOWER (A LORD of the TREASURY) (Stafford, N.W.)said, that the Board of Works fully recognized the importance of having the works done at once. It was a very important matter. No effort would be spared, and they were in hopes that the improvements would be finished by the time the House met again.