§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, with reference to the fact that the Reports of the Water Examiner to the Board of Trade show that since the great frost of last winter the quantity of water supplied by the East London Water Company has been largely in excess of that supplied by it before the frost, and that the average quantity supplied daily during last June was over 51 millions of gallons, whereas the quantity supplied during the month of June in each of the two preceding years was only 43 millions of gallons, whether any facts have been laid before the Board of Trade by the Water Examiner or by the Company to account for the great increase in the amount of the water thus supplied?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. HENRY CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, SleafordI am informed by the East London Water Company that the increase in the quantity of water supplied during the month of June last, as compared with the supply during the corresponding month in the two preceding years, is due (1) to an increase of 36,000 in the population since 1893; (2) to the fact that a large number of pipes belonging to the consumers were burst—50,000 burst pipes having been found between April 20th and June 29th—in many instances the necessary repairs have not yet been carried out; and (3) to the abnormally dry weather of May and June, when garden watering was a source of great waste. The Engineer of the Company states that all pipes belonging to the Company within the County of London which were damaged by frost or otherwise were replaced or made good by April 8th. I have communicated with Major-General Scott, the Water Examiner under the Metropolis Water Act, and he informs me that he has no information which would lead him to doubt the accuracy of the statements of the Company in this matter. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ MR. JAMES STUARTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the number of days' supply represented by the capacity of the storage reservoirs for unfiltered water belonging to the East London Water Company and to each of the other London Water Companies?
§ MR. CHAPLINI have made inquiries of the several water companies as to the number of days' supply represented by the capacity of their storage reservoirs for unfiltered water. The effect of the replies is as follows:—East London Water Company, an average of about 17 days' supply of Lea water; West Middlesex, six and a third days' supply; Grand Junction Company, three and a half days' supply; New River Company, four or five days' average supply; Southwark and Vauxhall, four days' supply; Chelsea, 13½ days' supply. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ MR. JAMES STUARTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a Return showing the average amount of water supplied daily by the East London Water Company from various sources in each month during the past two years; and whether he will in future lay upon the Table of the House the monthly reports of the Water Examiner furnished to the Board of Trade as to the quantity and quality of the water supplied by each of the London Water Companies?
§ MR. CHAPLINI am quite willing to lay upon the Table of the House a Return showing the average amount of water supplied daily by the East London Water Company from various sources in each month during the past two years, if the hon. Member will move for it. As regards the monthly reports of the water examiner, they are furnished by the Local Government Board to the London County Council and to all the sanitary authorities in the metropolis, and they are also placed on sale. It is hardly necessary to lay these reports upon the Table of the House, but if any Member would desire to be furnished with copies and will inform me of his wish, I will arrange that copies shall be regularly supplied to him. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ * SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)Have these reports any official authority?
§ MR. CHAPLINYes.
§ * SIR C. DILKEAre they not made by the companies themselves?
§ MR. CHAPLINI am not quite sure upon that point.