§ Considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Clauses agreed to.
§ Schedule 1.
§ (6.12.) MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)By this Bill it is proposed to continue a small portion—Sub-section 3 of Section 108—of the Local Government Act, which gives power to make orders on the application of County Councils, an unusual power given to a Department to modify a general enactment. Originally the power was limited to six months, and it was given, I presume, as a means of tiding over difficulties inseparable from the launching of a great scheme for the reform of local government, but year by year the power has been renewed in the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill. I do not quite understand the operation of the section, whether it merely continues the orders made within the first six months, or allows further orders to be made from time to time.
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE, Tower Hamlets, St. George's)It is not proposed to renew the provision beyond the present year, but, as the hon. Member knows, there are matters of some complexity which arise in connection with the change in the date of the County Council elections; and therefore the Local Government Board have thought it necessary to take this power to cover the period of the next elections for the assistance of Local Authorities in technical difficulties that may arise.
§ MR. PICKERSGILLSuch orders will relate merely to elections?
§ *MR. RITCHIEThat is all. There has not been the slightest difficulty about the exercise of the power before now, nor do I anticipate any now.
Schedules and Preamble agreed to.
Bill reported without Amendment; to be read the third time to-morrow.