HC Deb 24 July 1883 vol 282 cc286-8
SIR R. ASSHETON CROSS

asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether, especially with regard to the danger of cholera, he will issue a Circular to the Vestries and District Boards in the Metropolis, calling upon them to put in force the provisions of the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Acts, 1868–82 (Mr. Torrens's Acts)whether, for the same reasons, he will call the attention of local authorities in the provinces to the provisions of the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Acts, 1875–82 (Sir Richard Cross's Acts)?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Sir, Circulars have already been issued to the Vestries and District Boards in the Metropolis, and to the local authorities in the Provinces, drawing attention to the Acts referred to, and urging the authorities to avail themselves of the powers which these Acts confer on them.

SIR R. ASSHETON CROSS

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and the President of the Local Government Board, Whether they will respectively call upon the Medical Officers of Health in the Metropolis for Returns of all places which in their opinion ought to be dealt with under one set of Acts or the other; and, whether they will lay such Returns before Parliament during the present Session?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Sir, as the Medical Officers of Health in the Metropolis are officers of the Vestries and District Boards, and are in no way subject to the jurisdiction of the Board, the Board have not considered that they could properly call upon those officers to furnish such Returns as are suggested direct to the Board. The Board have, however, communicated with the Vestries and District Boards, and urged them to call upon the Medical Officers of Health to make Returns, without delay, of the places which they consider ought to be dealt with under the Acts mentioned. They have also asked that they may be furnished with copies of such Returns, and the Board will have no objection to lay on the Table of the House copies of any Returns which they may receive.

MR. MONK

asked whether the Local Government Board could not send round a Circular, to be left at the door of every householder, stating the best means to be taken for the prevention of cholera?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

said, this Question did not quite come within the scope of that on the Paper; but if the House permitted him to do so he would answer it. It would not do for the Local Government Board to act as the local authority in the various districts; but they had already issued Circulars, not only to the district authorities of the Metropolis, but to every health authority in the country, calling attention to the powers they had under the Artizans' Dwellings Act. The Local Government Board could not issue instructions to every householder; but he had no doubt that, should there be imminent danger of cholera, that would be done by the local authorities. The authorities of the parish of Kensington had already adopted this course.

SIR R. ASSHETON CROSS

asked the Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, Whether he would again call the attention of the Board to the provisions of the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Act?

SIR JAMES M'GAREL-HOGG

Sir, I can assure my right hon. Friend that the Metropolitan Board of Works is fully sensible of the importance of the provisions of the Artizans' Dwellings Acts, and the whole subject stands referred to a Committee, who will consider whether, having regard to the number and present position of the schemes already in hand, it is desirable for the Board to introduce others in the next Session.

MR. MITCHELL HENRY

I should like to ask this Question of the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Local Government Board. Whether he will communicate with the different Vestries and local authorities, and suggest to them that stands, direct from the pipes of the different Water Companies, should be put up in the streets, so as to enable persons, particularly in the poorer districts, to draw their water direct from the mains? It has been proved, over and over again, that cholera and other diseases are produced by the retention of drinking water in dirty cisterns.

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

The attention of the officers of the Local Government Board is being directed to this point.