§ MR. PICTONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in consequence of the Report of Mr. Arnold Taylor, dated March 15th, 1884, on a complaint made by the Lea Conservancy Board, any action has been taken to compel an abatement of the nuisances condemned in that Report; whether he is aware that, during the recent hot whether, the inhabitants along the banks of the Lea have suffered great annoyance, and have been seriously alarmed by the dangers to health arising from the unsanitary condition of the river; and, whether he will insist on an immediate discontinuance of the pollution of the Lea by admittedly defective sewage works?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTUnder the Act of 1866 I was called upon to certify whether the water of the Lea was in such a state that the sewage 1410 should not be permitted to flow into it. In the month of March I appointed Mr. Arnold Taylor to consider the matter, and I gave my decision on his Report. I gave my decision that the water of the Lea was not in a satisfactory condition. By my so doing the Lea Conservancy Board were placed in the possession of the power to deal with this matter. All I could do was to enable the Board to act; but I have urged upon the Local Board also to inquire into it, and decide what they intend to do.