§ MR. BEAUFOY (Lambeth, Kennington)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, as it is contrary to practice to allow Local Authorities by one and the same Act or Provisional Order to establish gas undertakings with power to transfer them, whether he will state the reasons which have led him to depart from this practice in the case of Electric Lighting Orders which the Board have recently granted to Local Authorities?
§ *SIR M. HICKS BEACHI have nothing to add to the replies I have already given in the House with reference to this matter. I have confidence in the discretion of the Local Authorites, and, with the safeguards contained in the clause referred to, I do not think the interests of the public can suffer.
§ MR. BEAUFOYI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade why the Model Electric Lighting Order, which has recently been prepared by the Department over which he presides, since it contains most unusual powers of transfer to Local Authorities, was not placed upon the Table of the House for consideration, as is necessary in the case of rules made by the Board?
§ *SIR M. HICKS BEACHSection 5 of the Electric Lighting Act, 1882, requires that rules made by the Board of Trade under that Act shall be laid before Parliament, but there is no similar provision in respect to the model form of Provisional Order. The Orders, as granted by the Board of Trade, are submitted to Parliament for confirmation, and have no force until so confirmed.