HL Deb 22 July 1964 vol 260 c638

2.34 p.m.

LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made since 1951 in providing improved sewerage arrangements in the rural areas of England and Wales.]

LORD HASTINGS

My Lords, since 1951 about 400,000 houses in rural areas have been provided with sewerage for the first time, at a cost of some £128 million.

LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that information, may I ask whether he can indicate what further steps are being taken in this matter?

LORD HASTINGS

My Lords, we have asked all local authorities which include rural areas to let us know in broad terms their estimates of the likely extent of their future programmes. We have no accurate figures available as to the number of dwellings still not yet sewered, because the subject is not covered by the Census. But, as I say, we have asked the local authorities for this information.

LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that further information. Although he has told us that no figures are available of dwellings not sewered, does he not agree that sewerage and the provision of piped water must be linked? Could he give figures of rural areas that are still without piped water?

LORD HASTINGS

My Lords, that seems to be a rather different question, but it so happens that I have been studying this matter in general and I know the answer. In fact, figures are supplied by the Census in respect of piped water for rural houses. The houses which did not have it in 1951 were 21 per cent. of the total in rural areas, and that figure has now been reduced, I am glad to say, to 4 per cent.