MR. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHasked he President of the Board of Trade, What has been done by the London Water Companies, the Board of Trade, and the metropolitan authorities respectively, under Sections 17 to 22 of the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, regarding regulations as to fittings; and, how soon 279 those regulations will be in operation, so that application may be made for a constant supply?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEin reply, said, the metropolitan water companies had complied with the requirements of the Metropolitan Water Act of last Session by submitting a set of regulations, which they had all agreed upon, to the Board of Trade and to the different metropolitan authorities. Until confirmed by the Board of Trade, however, these regulations were of no force whatever, and an inquiry must first be held by the Board of Trade, at which the metropolitan authorities and the metropolitan water companies themselves would have a right to be heard. A Circular had been sent to the metropolitan authorities inviting them to take the necessary steps preliminary to this inquiry by sending in any objections which they desired to offer to the proposed regulations. At the request of the Corporation of London and the Metropolitan Board of Works the time for sending in objections to these regulations had been somewhat extended—namely, to the 28th of this month. After that date, when the objections had been received, the inquiry—necessarily a somewhat lengthened one—would be held; and when, as the result of that inquiry, the regulations had been confirmed, the companies, after four months' notice, would be required to give a constant supply of water, unless they could show, within a time limited from the giving of such notice, that more than one-fifth of the premises in the particular district were not supplied with proper fittings.
MR. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHasked, whether the right hon. Gentleman was able to form any opintion as to how long the inquiry would last?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, he was quite unable to say.