HC Deb 07 November 1906 vol 164 cc544-5
MR. MACLEAN (Bath)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is now in a position to institute an inquiry, either by Royal Commission or Parliament, to investigate, amongst other things, the need for the protection and development of gathering grounds and other sources of water supply, the allocation of such gathering grounds and other sources on a comprehensive and equitable basis, and the general control and supervision of this subject of national importance by some central and properly qualified body; and, if so, whether, in the reference to the body holding such inquiry, he would include the subject of afforestation.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS. Battersea)

No, Sir. I do not think I can at present add anything to the reply which I gave to a previous Question by my hon. friend on this subject.

MR. MACLEAN

May I ask the hon. Gentleman whether he will shortly be in a position to institute inquiries.

MR. JOHN BURNS

I may say that the Report of the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal raises the question of an inquiry, and that the matter is under consideration in my office.

MR. J. WARD

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman has considered the fact that in the promotion of the scheme of the Derwent Valley Water Board there was a scramble between the different authorities, and that the cost of promoting this scheme was almost equal to that which the works would involve; and whether in view of the fact that there is unquestionably a general scramble for watersheds on behalf of thickly-populated districts he does not deem it time to have an inquiry into the whole subject.

MR. JOHN BURNS

The subject is precisely one of those which has been raised by the Royal Commission to which I have referred. It is one of many cognate matters now under consideration.