§ 69. Mr. Braineasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations have been made to his Department by Essex local authorities and other representative bodies concerning atmospheric pollution by Thames-side oil refineries; to what precise cause his inspectors attribute this pollution; and what steps are being taken to eliminate the nuisance.
§ Mr. H. BrookeIn addition to reports which are submitted from time to time to my District Alkali Inspector by the local authorities concerned, two recent complaints have been made by the Essex Borough and District Councils' Association about smells from the refineries. One incident appears to have been due to a mishap, and the other to the repair of a storage tank. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the Chief Alkali Inspector's Annual Reports for 1955 and 1956, which describe the nature of the problem of air pollution from oil refineries and the steps which are being taken to prevent it.