§ Mr. C. Brownasked the Minister of Supply what steps he took, prior to the making of his order to permit the company of Hyganic, Limited, to continue the business of a manure manufacturer, in Wood Lane, Shepherds Bush, within the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith, to verify the claims of this company with regard to the fertilising properties of their product; and whether he can state the chemical analysis of this product?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe manufacture of the product referred to, which is produced by a treatment of refuse obtained from the Kensington Borough Council, forms one part only of the activities of Hyganic Limited. The company, in addition, is engaged in the salvaging of materials such as waste paper, rags, etc., from the borough refuse. Prior to the making of the Order enabling the work of Hyganic Limited to continue despite the fact that the company's workings contravene the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, both sides of the company's activities were taken into consideration from the aspect whether it was desirable from the national point of view that they should be carried on. The Ministry of Agriculture were consulted with reference to the fertilising value of the company's product, and in view of the need for securing all possible supplies of fertilising materials favoured the making of the Order. As a result of this consideration, it was decided that it was in the national interest that both sides of the company's work should continue and an Order was made accordingly, with the concurrence of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, enabling both spheres of the company's work to continue. The Order is subject to the company taking steps necessary in the view of the Ministry of Health to reduce the risk of any nuisance arising from the company's working. The chemical content of the product is necessarily variable owing to the fact that the content of the refuse from which it is derived is itself a variable quantity and there is therefore1248W no standard chemical an analysis, although analyses are regularly made and are available.