§ MR. BROOKE (Tower Hamlets, Bow and Bromley)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Millwall Dock Company has for a number of years been in the habit of depositing dredged material on land in the Isle of Dogs closely adjacent to inhabited houses; whether, in view of the continual protest made by residents of these houses and the inhabitants of the Isle of Dogs generally against such deposits, as a menace to health, as a source of offensive odours, and a danger to the adjoining property, he will urge upon the Millwall Dock Company their obligation to cease and discontinue these deposits of the dredgings of their docks on the said land; and whether he will consider the desirability of using the opportunity afforded by the Millwall Dock (Superfluous Lands) and London and India Docks, and Millwall Dock Companies (Amalgamation) Bills for making provision to secure this object.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS,) BatterseaMy attention has been called to this matter. I understand 222 that the Company in 1898 expressed their willingness to discontinue the practice of depositing dredged material on the land referred to if detriment to the public health could be shown, but that up to the present time no sufficient evidence in support of the contention that the deposit is a menace to health has been obtained. I have no control over the Company, and I do not think that I could take action with a view of giving effect to the suggestion in the last paragraph of the Question.