§ SIR H. ROSCOE (Manchester, S.)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether he can state if any steps have been taken by the Westminster 1272 District Board of Works to remedy the state of things described by Mr. Wheeler, Surveyor to that Board, before a Select Committee of this House on 8th April, 1886, in answer to Question No. 226—namely, that there was no doubt that the sewer gases from the Metropolitan low-level sewer come up into the sewers of the Westminster District, and that these gases are discharged through the ventilators into the street; and whether, if no such steps have been taken to remedy the evil, he will make the necessary representations to the Board, so that the atmosphere surrounding the Palace of Westminster may no longer be rendered impure from this cause?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE, Bradford, Central)The subject to which the hon. Member has called attention is one of considerable importance. The Committee of July, 1891, on the ventilation of the Houses of Parliament recommended that a communication should be made to the County Council requesting them to consider the desirability of improving the sewer ventilation in the neighbourhood of the Houses of Parliament, especially by the erection of suitable shafts and furnaces in convenient positions to create powerful exhausts, so that the gratings at the ground level may become inlets of air to the system instead of, as at present, outlets for gases from the sewers. Since then repeated communications to this effect have been made to the County Council. In June, 1892, the Council replied that their engineer saw no difficulty in ventilating the low-level sewer in the manner suggested by the Committee, but that there was difficulty in providing a suitable site for the purpose; that every endeavour was being made to find a site, and that it was hoped shortly to give a satisfactory answer. Subsequently, I have three times addressed the County Council on the subject in the present year; but the Council reply that they have been unable as yet to find a site. The Government itself is unable to offer a site except at such a short distance from the building as might be a fresh danger and nuisance to its occupants. I am at the present time in communication with the County Council on the matter.
§ SIR H. ROSCOEAre we to understand that there will be no delay in pushing forward this matter?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREI shall lose no opportunity of promoting it.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)Do I understand this unhealthy condition of things is due to dilatory action on the part of the London County Council?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREThe London County Council, I understand, are ready to provide a remedy, and are not flinching at the cost of doing so. The difficulty is in finding the site.