§ MR. LAWSON (St. Pancras, W.)asked the hon. Member for the Knutsford Division of Cheshire, Whether the Metropolitan Board of Works have caused inquiries to be made as to the flooding of houses in the Chalk Farm District of St. Pancras; whether representations have been made by the Vestry to this effect; whether a grave nuisance and danger to the health of the neighbourhood have been caused thereby; and, what steps are to be taken to remedy the defective drainage to which it is due?
§ COLONEL HUGHES (Woolwich)(who replied) said: Representations have been made to the Metropolitan Board by the Vestry of St. Pancras as to the flooding of houses in the Chalk Farm District. No doubt those floodings are a great nuisance to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. It is certain, however, that the flooding is not due to the insufficiency of the main sewers under the control of the Metropolitan Board. The Board's main sewers were lowered some years since, in order that the drainage might be made more effective, and a subsidiary main sewer was made to take the storm water during heavy rain. 334 Observations, which are always made by the Board's officers after heavy storms, show that the Board's new main sewer in Kentish Town Road has never yet been filled since its construction. The local sewers, which belong to the Vestry, ought to have been lowered when the Board's sewers were lowered; but this work has not been done. The reconstruction of the local sewers at a lower level would probably be effectual to prevent the flooding complained of.