§ 52. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, although a fine of £25 was inflicted on the Anglo-Scottish Beet Sugar Corporation, of Colwick, Nottinghamshire, on 8th December, 1926, for polluting the River Trent, this corporation is still discharging into the river many tons of poisonous matter; and what steps he proposes to take to put a stop to this practice?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Guinness)I have been asked to reply. I am informed that the Colwick beet sugar factory has completed its manufacturing season and is now closed down. With regard to the second part of the question, I understand that improvements to the plant are to be carried out before the next manufacturing season, which, it is hoped, will remove any cause for complaint. Investigations financed by the Government are also in progress which I hope may lead to the discovery of effective means for rendering the effluents from such factories harmless.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKHas not sufficient information been already accumulated by the Committee which are conducting research to warrant the Government adopting a considered policy with regard to pollution generally?
§ Mr. GUINNESSIt is true that we have information about industrial effluents in connection with factories which have been long established, but in the case of this new industry, the water in which the beets are washed before the manufacturing process starts develops a condition which while it does not actively poison the fish suffocates them by causing deficiency of oxygen, and we have to discover what the constituent is in that effluent which has this effect before we can hope to secure an effective method of dealing with it.