§ Mr. MILLARasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been directed to the pollution of the River Leven in Fifeshire; and whether he will call for a report from the Scottish Department for Health as to the causes and effects of such pollution and as to the remedial measures required?
Mr. ADAMSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, in 1925 the Scottish Board of Health caused a survey of the river and its tributaries to be made by one of their inspectors, and in 1926 a Conference was held of the various local authorities interested in the purification of the river which was attended by representatives of the Board. As regards the last part, the whole question of rivers pollution is being investigated by a special Committee representative of the various interests affected and when the Committee's recommendations are received, the matter will be given careful consideration.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Minister of Labour what terms of assistance from the Unemployment Grants Committee are available to the western district committee of the county council of Dumbartonshire and Dumbarton town 1739W council for the works proposed in the purification of the River Leven; what proportion of transferred labour from other distressed districts in Scotland will be insisted upon; and whether she is aware that Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven have already a heavy unemployed list of their own?
§ Miss BONDFIELDNo formal application in respect of the scheme to which my hon. Friend refers has been submitted to the Unemployment Grants Committee, and I am therefore unable to say what terms will be appropriate, but in view of the extent of local unemployment, the question of employing transferred labour will not arise.