69. Mr. CHANCELLORasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the Crediton Urban District Council have submitted to the Local Government Board a scheme of sewerage disposal which will involve a cost of £16,000; whether this includes a payment of £8,500 for 61 acres of land, although only 5 acres are necessary to carry out the scheme; whether the engineer was the nominee of the lord of the manor and no independent expert advice was obtained, although a cheaper scheme was submitted, which was not properly discussed; whether the dearer scheme was strongly opposed on the urban district council and adopted only by the casting vote of the chairman; and whether the Local Govern- 1250 ment Board will refuse to sanction a scheme which will involve a heavy burden on the ratepayers of this town of 3,600 inhabitants, in which a penny rate produces only £43, without giving advantages at all commensurate with the cost?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)The scheme is under consideration by the Local Government Board, and I am not at present in a position to give a final decision.