§ 14. Mr. TAYLORasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that 117 male and 166 female members of the staff of the Board are employed in buildings which have been infested with bugs, rats, and other vermin for the last 12 mouths; that cases have arisen where officers have discovered bugs on their clothing and have also unwittingly carried them to their homes; that to prevent further cases arising a supply of naphthaline balls has been issued to the staff; that on various occasions the building has been closed for fumigation purposes undertaken by the Office of Works with the consequent suspension and dislocation of official work; and that an assurance was given to the staff that if the measures adopted by the Office of Works last autumn did not prove to be effective the Board would immediately insist on other accommodation being provided; will he say why that assurance has not been carried into effect following the reappearance of bugs at the beginning of this year; and what steps he now proposes to take to honour this promise?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe premises in question were thoroughly cleaned and fumigated last year under expert advice. They have recently been examined by experts, who report that, in their opinion, the buildings are not at present infested with vermin. Steps are being taken on the advice of these experts with a view to preventing any recrudescence of the trouble.