§ MR. ARTHUR LEEI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware of the position in which the Warblington Urban District Council finds itself as a result on the one hand of the judgment obtained against it by Mr. Foster in connection with the pollution of his oyster-beds by the existing system of local drainage, and on the other hand by the refusal of the Local Government Board to sanction the new scheme of drainage which has been prepared by the expert advisers of the council on the ground that such scheme would be ineffective; whether he is further aware that the council is extremely anxious to proceed with a new scheme of drainage at the earliest possible moment and as soon as it can secure the consent of the Local Government Board to the necessary expenditure; and whether he can indicate to the council the points upon which the scheme submitted by it is defective.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI am aware of the position of the district council in, this matter, and that they are anxious to proceed with a new scheme of drainage. I have already indicated to the council the points upon which, as I am advised, the previous scheme was defective.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that further litigation-is threatened against this council for not proceeding with the drainage scheme? Cannot the Local Government Board give them some expert advice?
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI am aware of the peculiar difficulties under which this local authority is labouring, and I am doing my best to help them out of their troubles.