§ MR. STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now able to communicate to the House the recommendations of the Committee of Investigation which collected evidence at Gibraltar in the summer of 1898 with respect to the insanitary condition of that town and fortress; and what measures Her Majesty's Government propose to adopt, in the interests of the health of the naval and military forces at Gibraltar, for the compulsory demolition of buildings which have been condemned by the local medical authorities, for the improvement of the drainage scheme, for the prevention of the granting of leases of Government land to syndicates formed by building speculators and rack-renters, and for the provision of recreation grounds for the use of soldiers and sailors serving at that station.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI informed the hon. Member on the 24th April last that the report of the Committee was confidential and that it was not intended to publish it. The health of Gibraltar is good; the death-rate for 1898 was only 17.79 per 1,000. The remodelling of the whole drainage of the fortress was concluded early last year, and I have no reason to believe that anything further is required. The Sanitary Commissioners have already sufficient powers for dealing with insanitary houses and are exercising them satisfactorily. I have no information as to any Crown leases having been granted to syndicates of building speculators and rack-renters. The practice has always been, if possible, to renew leases to the former holders, or if they were not applicants to put them up for public competition. There is no space available on the limited part of the rock not reserved for military purposes for the provision of further recreation grounds, nor, so far as I am aware, has any recommendation been made to that effect.