§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the absence of sanitary arrangements at the works of the London Grain Elevator Company, which are under the supervision of the Port of London Sanitary Authority: whether he is aware that there is no drainage in connection with the conveniences for the workmen, and that there is no direct water supply: and whether he will take action with a view to efficient sanitary arrangements being made?
§ Mr. BURNSI have received a complaint on this subject, and have obtained a statement made by the Port medical officer of health with regard to it. It appears that the works of the company are situate on enclosed land belonging to the Royal Victoria Docks, and are not contiguous to any other buildings; that the nearest sewer is 200 yards distant from the buildings; and that the sanitary arrangements for the use of the workpeople are of a type in general use in the docks, in which the soil is received into a concrete-lined pit, which it, from time to time 2101W emptied, the contents being buried in the surrounding waste land. The place has been inspected by the medical officer of health, who states that, although objection may be taken to the form of closet used, there was no such nuisance as could be dealt with under section 2 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. He points out that certain other provisions of the Act do not extend to the Port Sanitary Authority. He adds that there is no direct water supply to the premises, but that the arrangements for supplying drinking water to the workpeople, if properly carried out, appear to be adequate.