§ MR. STEPHEN CAVEasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether Her Majesty's Government contemplate the introduction of any measure for the purpose of extending the provisions of the City of London Gas Act of 1868 to the other Metropolitan Gas Companies?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, that Her Majesty's Government had no present intention of extending the powers conferred by the Gas Act of 1868, and he might remind the right hon. Gentleman that more than one Select Committee since that year conferred powers upon gas companies not in accordance with that Act. By a scheme of amalgamation now being prepared by the Chartered and Western Companies, five out of the thirteen companies would be brought under the operation of the Act.