§ 27. Mr. JAMES PARKERasked the President of the Local Government Board whether in 1906 and again in 1912 the Board, having received Reports from their own inspectors as to the insanitary conditions in the rural district council of Mitford and Launditch, communicated with the rural district council, in the latter cast; stating that the Board regarded with grave concern the existence of unsatisfactory conditions, and urged upon the district council the necessity for immediate action; whether he is aware that the county council of Norfolk have also recently drawn the attention of this rural council to specific instances of insanitary conditions; whether he can state how many houses have been closed in the district mentioned under the Housing Acts in 1912 and 1913, and, of these, how many have not been demolished within the statutory period; and whether in this district at the present moment the greater number of the houses have privies and privy pits in close proximity to the houses and to the shallow wells?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Herbert Lewis)The reply to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the third part, so far as the Local Government Board are aware, three closing Orders and no demolition Orders were made, and, as regards the fourth part, the medical officer of health reported in 1912 that privies were universal in the district, but that the council were each year having a number converted to pan closets.
§ 28. Mr. JAMES PARKERasked whether, after a visit of Mr. Collins, an inspector of his Department, the medical officer of health of the rural district council of Mitford and Launditch in 1912 arranged that the inspector of nuisances should see him daily so that he might ascertain from the inspector's daily inspections which, if any, houses were to be reported to the rural district council under the Housing Acts; if so, whether the medical officer of health in July, 1913, reported to the sanitary committee that in Shipdham 217 cottages had been inspected and structural defects found in almost every one of them; and whether it was arising out of that report, which had been prepared by the inspector of nuisances, that the latter was suspended, notwithstanding the expressed opinion of the Board that generally the sanitary administration of this district was lax and that a number of houses in the district were unfit for habitation?
§ Mr. HERBERT LEWISThe Local Government Board have no knowledge of the arrangement referred to in the first part of the question. With regard to the second part I understand that 217 houses were inspected in Shipdham in 1913, most of which were found defective. I am unable to substantiate the assumption in the last part of the question.
§ 29. Mr. JAMES PARKERasked the right hon. Gentleman whether Mr. Robert Read, late inspector of nuisances for the rural district of Mitford and Launditch, has recently resigned his office; if so, whether the resignation was the result of the advice of the Board, which, being satisfied that the inspector had consistently reported the existence of gross nuisances in the said district, yet deemed it desirable to avoid friction in the future should the sanitary authority again neglect to take their part in remedying insanitary conditions; will he state for how many years Mr. Copeman, the present chairman of the rural district council, has held that office; and what action he proposes to take to prevent future inspectors of nuisances in this district being penalised by losing their employment through reporting the facts they discover?
§ Mr. HERBERT LEWISThe rural district council reported in October last that they had suspended their inspector of nuisances for failure to carry out their instructions satisfactorily. The Local Government Board sent a medical inspector to inquire into the circumstances, 432 and after considering his report they informed the council that, in their opinion, the inspector of nuisances should not continue in office, and suggested that he should be asked to resign, which he did. I am unable to say for how many years the present chairman of the council has held office.