§ Sir R. Russellasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities in England and Wales arrange for their sewage to be treated together with household and trade refuse and made into compost; what is the value of the compost obtained; and what steps are being taken to extend this practice.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI regret that neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, nor I have this information, and it could only be assembled at substantial expense. I understand, however, that only a few local authorities150W follow the practice. In its report on The Use of Towns' Wastes in Agriculture, published in 1954, the Natural Resources (Technical) Committee concluded that composting of household refuse and liquid sewage sludge by local authorities appeared to be generally uneconomic, and no information which has appeared since, has led Departments to take the opposite view. But I understand that the subject will be considered by the working parties which are examining refuse disposal and sewage disposal.