§ 31. Mr. Manningham-Bullerasked the Minister of Health when a decision will be given on proposals submitted by the Northampton Rural District Council with regard to a district water supply scheme and on which a local inquiry was held on 1st April, 1947.
§ Mr. BevanI have suggested modifications to secure economy and conformity with other possible developments in the county. I am awaiting further information from the Council to enable me to give a decision on their proposals.
§ Mr. Manningham-BullerDoes the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that delay in giving decisions on these schemes holds up the long-term planning of housing, and does he appreciate that some of the proposals put forward by the Ministry involve the necessity of taking water supplies from the local authorities near by, which cannot supply their own areas?
§ Mr. BevanThere are three replies to that supplementary question. One is that if we were able to sanction all these schemes at once, we should not be able to proceed with them because of the shortage of steel; the second answer is that it is necessary to co-ordinate the schemes of a particular parish or urban council with the county council scheme, otherwise there would be hopeless technical problems; and the third answer is that this is done under the Act of 1944, which the hon. and learned Gentleman supported so enthusiastically.