10. Mrs. Slaterasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the reasons for the refusal to commence 8 extensions to the Hanley sewage works, Stoke-on-Trent; and to what extent such refusal will affect housing development in the area of the eastern valley of the River Trent.
§ Mr. H. BrookeSanction has been withheld because the work is not considered to be sufficiently urgent to warrant expenditure in present circumstances. I have no reason to believe that housing development will be affected.
Mrs. SlaterIs the Minister aware that this continued refusal to give permission to extend these sewage works is giving great concern to the local authority; and that, along this eastern valley, housing development, particularly slum clearance work, will be considerably handicapped if permission is not granted, because we are fast arriving at the stage when these works will be unable to take any further sewage?
§ Mr. BrookeI can assure the hon. Lady that I have not overlooked that. According to my present judgment, this is not a work of the greatest priority, but if the council has any further information to give me in support of what the hon. Lady has said—that slum clearance will be held up—I will willingly examine it.