§ MR. LEIF JONES (Westmoreland, Appleby)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received complaints from the Malton Rural District Council and other local authorities to the effect that they are unable to secure proper water supplies for their districts, owing to the difficulty of coming to terms with riparian owners; and whether he will introduce a measure to enable the Board to issue Provisional Orders for the compulsory acquisition of water rights in such cases.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI have received representations on this subject. I will give consideration to the suggestion in the latter part of the Question, but I cannot promise to introduce a Bill dealing with the matter during the present session.
§ MR. LEIF JONESWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind how exceedingly pressing this matter is?
§ Mr. JOHN BURNSYes, this and other cases will, in my judgment, necessitate legislation at an early date.