§ COLONEL MAKINSasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been drawn to the fact of Bills being introduced by the Metropolitan Board of Works at great cost to the ratepayers, without any statutory authority enabling them to initiate legislation, especially in reference to the gas supply of the Metropolis; and, whether the Government 144 propose to confer such power upon that body by special Act?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in reply, said, the Government had no such intention; but the Metropolitan Board of Works claimed the power under the Metropolis Local Management Act, a section of which said that where it appeared to the Board that further powers were required for the purpose of any work for the improvement of the metropolis or for the public benefit, the Board might apply to Parliament, and the expenses of such application might be defrayed like other expenses of the Board. The Board also claimed that under other Acts similar powers were conferred upon them, more especially with regard to gas. There was no intention on the part of the Government to increase the power which the Board already had in this respect.