§ 40. Brigadier Medlicottasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the total reservoir accommodation in the country is insufficient, having regard to the rising population; and what plans he has in mind for a substantial increase in the total water storage capacity, with a view to avoiding the cuts in the supply of water which now take place after a relatively short period of drought.
§ Mr. BevanThe primary responsibility for seeing that their areas are adequately supplied rests with the water undertakers, and I am always ready to consider proposals from them for needed new supplies. Speed of progress, however, is necessarily governed by the amount of materials it is possible to allocate to this service having regard to other urgent demands.
§ Brigadier MedlicottHaving regard to the fact that quite a heavy amount of rain falls during the year, would the Minister agree that the ultimate objective ought to be to raise the storage capacity, so that we can go through the longest dry summer without anxiety?
§ Mr. BevanThe House and the nation will have to consider whether it is prepared to tie up a vast amount of capital for reservoirs all over the country in order to deal with incidental and even evanescent dry weather. It is really a question of to what we ought to devote our capital resources.