10. Mrs. Slaterasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what proposals he has to remedy pollution of the River Trent by untreated sewage and industrial effluent, respectively.
§ Mr. BevinsThe Trent River Board is the body primarily responsible for the condition of this river, and I am sure it can be trusted to discharge the duties placed upon it. Important works have been carried out recently by sewage disposal authorities in the area, and further schemes are in various stages of preparation.
Mrs. SlaterThis falls into two parts. First of all, there are the local authorities which have sewage disposal schemes and some of which, like our own local authority, are most anxious to enlarge and improve their present schemes.
§ Mr. NabarroThis is much too long.
Mrs. SlaterWe have often to listen to the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) at great length.
The second problem is the authorities which do nothing at all to prevent the pouring of sewage effluent into the River Trent. Would not the Minister do something to encourage the Trent River Board to take more active steps to prevent this?
§ Mr. BevinsI am sure that the Trent River Board is fully alive to its responsibilities. In the early part of this year my right hon. Friend approved a scheme involving one of the five towns. Work has been in progress in West Bromwich, and another scheme is about to be commenced, subject to public inquiry, in the Birmingham area. I would remind the hon. Lady that during the five years between 1945 and 1951 the average value of these approved schemes was £10 million a year and that since then it has been £20 million a year.