HC Deb 29 April 1938 vol 335 cc457-8

Lords Amendment: In line 10, leave out "inmate of any" and insert:

" person in receipt of relief from them in a."

11.5 a.m.

Miss Ward

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

Mr. Speaker

I must point out that all the Amendments before us raise the question of Privilege, because they impose an increased charge upon the rates by adding to the number of persons to whom allowances may be granted. Of course, the House may decide to waive its Privilege in that respect.

11.6 a.m.

Mr. Ammon

Before the House parts with these Amendments I think it ought to be made acquainted with what it is that is being done. Under cover of a private Bill very considerable charges are being imposed upon local authorities without their having even been consulted. This is a matter which ought to have been undertaken by the Government. The Lords Amendments will add very considerably to those charges. I have been informed by one local authority that under the Bill as it was originally presented an additional burden of £35,000 a year would fall upon them, and this Amendment more than doubles that burden. It is a charge which will fall very heavily upon small local authorities.

Mr. Thorne

On a point of Order. I wish to ask whether the House has agreed to waive its Privilege in this matter?

Mr. Speaker

We have not yet got to that point.

Mr. Ammon

For obvious reasons it is difficult to oppose a Bill of this kind, because of the misrepresentations which can be made, but I think some protest should be made against the fact that the Government have given connivance and support to a Bill in order to get credit for passing beneficent legislation although they are not bearing any part of the cost, but are imposing a heavy burden upon the local authorities. In another place Lord Gage, in speaking of the Bill, said: The Government do not feel that there arises on this Bill any new question of principle that affects them, nor is it proposed in the Bill to affect in any way new Government money. Further he said: The Government propose to maintain the same neutral attitude as it did in another place and to leave this Bill to the free judgment of the House. I think this House ought to be acquainted with what they are doing when they are passing this Bill, because it will mean that already heavily overburdened local authorities will have an extra liability imposed upon them.

Question, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment," put, and agreed to.

Mr. Speaker

I understand that the House has agreed to waive its Privilege in this matter, and an entry will be made accordingly.

Lords Amendment: In page 1, line 11 leave out "under their control."

Miss Ward

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

11.9 a.m.

Mr. Thorne

I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health whether he can give any information as to what will be the monetary obligation which will fall upon the various local authorities? I quite admit that it will all depend upon the number of institutions under the control of individual authorities.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Mr. Bernays)

I think that for that very reason it would be quite impossible for me to give an exact figure, but I will make inquiries to see whether any figure can be arrived at.

Question put, and agreed to.—[Special Entry.]

Remaining Lords Amendment agreed to—[Special Entry.]