HL Deb 27 July 1982 vol 434 c225WA
The Marquess of Ailesbury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the cause of the very strong unpleasant smell which pervades a stretch of the M4 motorway outside Slough; whether motorists must accept it as a permanent affliction; and if so, why.

The Earl of Avon

Unpleasant smells occasionally reach a stretch of the M4 motorway outside Slough from an adjacent sewage treatment works.

Thames Water Authority, the operators of the works, are already well aware of the problem, and have in hand low-cost ameliorative measures but, in view of the considerable cost, have no immediate plans for major reconstruction which could be expected to eradicate the problem.