§ 114. Viscountess Davidsonasked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to prevent the effluent from the Luton sewage works from contaminating the River Lea; and whether he will suspend any further development at Luton until the effluent has been brought to a proper standard.
§ Mr. BevanThe technical officers of my Department are giving such assistance as they can to the Luton Borough Council, whose responsibility it is to maintain the sewage works and to decide what improvements should be effected, and at my request the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research are undertaking some experiments on the filtration processes employed on these works. I am fully alive to the complaints which have been made of the effect on the condition of the River Lea of the effluents from the Luton sewage works and I shall keep in close touch with the situation. I am unable, however, to adopt the course suggested by the hon. Member.