§ MR. C. J. MONK (Gloucester)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to a question which has arisen with regard to the Essendon water supply, and whether it is the duty of a rural district council which has provided a water supply for a parish within their district to hand over the works on completion to the parish council or to keep the management and control in their own hands; whether the Local Government Board requires a Report from one of their own inspectors on the completion of the works; and by whom rules and regulations are to be framed for regulating the supply of water and fixing the price to be paid by consumers who desire to have their premises connected by pipes with the water mains?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, SleafordMy attention has not been called to any question with regard to the Essendon water supply. The rural district council are under no obligations to hand over waterworks, which have been carried out by them, to the parish council, but they can, if they think fit, delegate to the parish council any powers in connection with the undertaking, which, under the Public Health Act, they can delegate to a parochial committee. It is not the practice of the Board to require a Report by one of their inspectors on the completion of the works. The rural district council have, under the Waterworks Clauses Act, certain powers of control as regards fittings, etc., and are empowered to levy water rates, or to enter into agreements for the supply of water.
§ MR. MONKMight I ask the hon. Gentleman whether the district council are empowered to grant these powers to the parish council? I mean the power of levying rates?