§ MR. PIKE PEASE (Darlington)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the successive outbreaks of enteric fever during the past two years at the Metropolitan Imbecile Asylum at Darenth, Kent, traceable to broken drains and to the fact that the drains of this asylum are used to irrigate portions of the enclosure, and that the contents finally disappear into the chalk upon which the asylum stands; and, seeing that this enclosure is within five furlongs from the Darenth pumpingstation of the Metropolitan Water Board, and at a higher level, will he state what steps he proposes to take.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I am aware that there have been occurrences of enteric fever at the asylum during the past two years, and that the first of them was supposed to be due to a defect in the drainage. It is the case that the drainage of the asylum is disposed of by irrigation on the asylum farm, but I understand that the land is at a considerable distance from the Darenth well, and that the local conditions are such that there would appear to be no risk of the well becoming polluted from anything that may happen at the asylum. I will, however, communicate further with the Metropolitan Water Board on the subject.