§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ THE DUKE OF WESTMINSTER, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, it had come up from the Commons and was unopposed. Its object was to enable the Board of Works to acquire by agreement with owners, and to undertake the management of all open spaces within their area of which they might obtain possession.
§ THE DUKE OF SOMERSETsaid, he did not object to the second reading, but referred to some parts of the Bill which he said would require careful consideration on the part of the Government.
THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDONsaid, he was much indebted to the noble Duke for having drawn attention to the matter. He thought the object of the Bill was very good. In that he believed they all agreed; but whether that object was carried out in the best manner was, of course, an important point. He would undertake that the Bill should receive the consideration of the Government before their Lordships went into Committee on it, which would not be till after Easter, and that if any amendments should seem to be desirable they should be proposed.
§ THE EARL OF REDESDALEsaid, that as the Bill stood a person who had an open space might transfer it to the Metropolitan Board of Works without notice to third parties whose property might be injured by the transfer. He thought that notice ought to be required.
Motion agreed to; Bill road 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.