§ MR. BAUMANN (Camberwell, Peck-ham)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the evidence of Sir Robert Rawlinson, given before the Committee which is at present inquiring into the water supply of London, to the effect that the drainage of house-boats into the Thames is prejudicial to the water supply of the Metropolis; and whether, in the interests of public health, he will direct the official representative 1140 of the Board of Trade on the Thames Conservancy Board to urge upon the Conservators the necessity of taking some steps to prevent this nuisance?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir M. HICKS BEACH, Bristol, W.)No, Sir; my attention has not been called to the evidence referred to, but I will direct a communication to be made to the Thames Conservancy Board upon the subject. I observe, however, that in the last Report of the Conservators, they state that "their officers continue to watch house-boats and steam launches, with a view to the detection of any pollution from those vessels."