§ CAFIAIN VERNEY (Bucks, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Local Government Board whether, in view of the letter addressed by the Board on the 30th of January last to the Buckingham Rural Sanitary Authority, observing on the urgent need of a pure and sufficient water supply, on the absence of a hospital for infectious cases, and of proper means for disinfection, and also on the grave structural defects of the sewers, and wholly insufficient action of the Authority, the Local Government Board can compel this Authority to exercise their powers for the protection of the public health of their district; and, if so, whether the Board intends so to compel this Authority?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. LONG, Wilts, Devizes)The Local Government Board, in the event of formal complaint being made to them under Section 299 of the Public Health Act that the Sanitary Authority have failed to provide their district with sufficient sewers or with an adequate supply of water, can direct a local inquiry on the subject; and if the complaint is substantiated can issue an order limiting the time within which the Sanitary Authority shall discharge their duty. If the authority fail to comply with the requirements of the order, the Board can apply to the High Court for a mandamus. In the case referred to in the question, the Board have not received any such complaint, and cannot therefore at present take the action indicated. If such a complaint were received it would meet with the Board's prompt attention. The Board are clearly of opinion that not only are the Authority failing in their duty, but that, as they have informed them, they are incurring serious responsibility in 1347 neglecting to exercise the powers with which they have been entrusted by the Legislature for the protection of the public health of their district.