§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to a statement of Sir Alexander Binnie that the River Thames and Lea, from which the drinking water of London is drawn, receive above the waterworks intakes the more or less clarified sewage of 1,000,000 persons in the case of the Thames and about 250,000 in the case of the Lea, and that the late Sir George Buchanan, principal medical officer of the Local Government Board, stated that the drinking of such contaminated water ultimately results in death and disease to the consumers; and whether it is proposed to take any steps to secure a purer water supply for London.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS, Battersea)I have seen the statement made by Sir Alexander Binnie. I am informed that the whole question of the adequacy of the works of the Water Board and existing sources to deal with the present and future population of the water area is now under the consideration of a Committee of that Board.