§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Marquess of Salisbury.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly:
§ [The EARL OF DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.]
§ Clause 1:
§ Amendment of Schedule III of 32 & 33 Vict. c. 67.
§ 1.—(1) The Valuation (Metropolis) Act, 1869 (in this Act referred to as "the 67 principal Act"), shall, for the purpose of the making of the valuation list thereunder which will come into force on the sixth day of April, nineteen hundred and twenty-six, and for the purpose of the revision of that list (but not including the making of a new valuation list), have effect as if for the Third Schedule to the principal Act (which Schedule shows the several classes into which the hereditaments inserted in a valuation list under the principal Act are to be divided and the maximum rate of deductions which may be allowed for the purpose of ascertaining rateable value) there were as respects the classes of hereditaments therein numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (including houses and buildings let out in separate tenements), substituted the provisions contained in Part I of the Schedule to this Act:
§
Provided that—
(c) if in the case of any hereditament being a house or building let but in separate tenements the rateable value which would be produced under this Act exceeds the rateable value which would have been produced under the provisions of the principal Act, the rateable value of the hereditament may be determined in accordance with those provisions.
§ LORD DANESFORT moved, in paragraph (c), after "being", to insert "or forming part of." The noble and learned Lord said: I am moving this Amendment, and the following one, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Kylsant in whose name they stand. It is clear that these words accord with the general scheme of the Bill and should be inserted. They would certainly remove a doubt as to the meaning of this clause, and I hope the noble Marquess will accept them.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 1, page 2, line 37, after ("being") insert ("or forming part of").—(Lord Danesfort.)
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)This point was mentioned in another place, and I think it was understood that, if possible, any doubt should be removed. The Government think there is just a doubt, a very small one, and they are quite prepared to accept the Amendment.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ LORD DANESFORT moved, in paragraph (c), to leave out "may" and insert "shall." The noble Lord said: There was considerable trouble in another place because the Legislature use the 68 word "may" when they really mean shall." Obviously the meaning of this clause is "shall," and I propose we should put in that word in order to make perfectly clear what is really meant.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 1, page 2, line 43, leave out ("may") and insert ("shall").—(Lord Danesfort.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThere is a little substance in this Amendment. It is conceivable that an authority might not desire to carry out what is the intention of Parliament and might, therefore avail itself of the word "may." The Government are prepared to accept this.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 2 agreed to.
§ Schedule: