§ MR. CAUSTONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board of Trade has determined, without inquiry into the circumstances of the case, not to proceed with any applications for Provisional Orders to supply electricity, if the Local Authorities refuse their consent, and thus to ignore the power vested in them by Section 1 of "The Electric Lighting Act, 1888," which provides for dispensing with such consent?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHNo, Sir; no such determination has been arrived at. In view of the Sessional Orders of Parliament, the Board of Trade informed promoters of Provisional Orders that they could not proceed with applications unless the consent of the Local Authority was produced by the 25th February, Where, however, as has already been the case, the promoters request the Board of Trade to dispense with such consent, their application will be carefully considered, and if there appear to be exceptional circumstances connected with the refusal of the Local Authority, an inquiry will be held.