§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the West Riding Rivers Board, in order to administer the West Riding of Yorkshire Rivers Act, 1894, applied to him, upon 29th July, 1907, in two cases, and on 4th January, 1908, in 16 cases, under section 6 of the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act, 1876, for his sanction to take proceedings for alleged pollution of river or 1627W stream; whether he will say in which of these cases he has decided to grant or to withhold such sanction; and when he will acquaint the Rivers Board of his definite decisions concerning the remainder, if any?
§ Mr. BURNSThe facts are as stated. The two cases first mentioned involved a question of the liability of the local authority for the alleged pollution of streams caused by the discharge into them of trade effluents by means of sewers. The Local Government Board, on the information before them, were not satisfied that they could properly sanction the proposed proceedings. As regards the other cases, I stated on 22nd March last, in reply to a question put to me by my hon. Friend, that if in any particular instance the Rivers Board regarded the case as one of such urgency that it ought not to await the legislation which is contemplated, and would inform me of the facts which led them to this conclusion, I would further consider it. I have since received a communication from the Rivers Board, but it does not contain facts as to any particular case of the kind above referred to. Hence I am not in a position to give a decision with regard to these cases.