LIGHT RAILWAYS. (Hansard, 1 April 1901)

§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, Central
I beg to ask for leave to bring in a Bill to continue and amend the Light Railways Act, 1896. The present Act will lapse on December 31st of the present year, and the Bill proposes that the powers of the Commissioners should be prolonged for a further period of five years, namely, until 31st December, 1906. The Bill also proposes sundry Amendments in the Act of 1896. Under that Act there is power to raise the salary of one of the Commissioners only. It provides that a salary not exceeding £1,000 a year might be paid to another Commissioner, who must be a barrister of not less than seven years' standing. It is the intention that the salary of the Secretary to the Commission should be increased, and that he should devote his entire time to the work. Changes are also made in regard to advances of money under the principal Act. The Treasury had power to advance money either by way of ordinary loan or by way of a special advance for the purpose of benefiting agriculture, fishing, or some other 380 definite industry. The total amount which might be advanced under the Act of 1896 was £1,000,000, and of this the amount available for special advances was limited to £250,000. The Bill does not propose to alter the total amount available for advances, but to increase the sum available for special advances to £750,000. Up to the present time no money has been applied for by way of ordinary loan, but by way of special advances promises have been made to the extent of about £200,000. The Bill is quite short, but it is very desirable that it should be passed, otherwise the operations of the Light Railways Act of 1896, which has been extremely beneficial, will necessarily be brought to a close. I beg to move.

§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)
As the right hon. Gentleman has said, a Bill of this kind is absolutely necessary, and therefore I have no objection to offer to its being introduced. The points to which he has called attention will be discussed on the Second Reading, and it is hardly necessary that I should go fully into them now. But I take the opportunity of saying that it would be convenient, at the Second Reading, or as soon after as possible, if the right hon. Gentleman could give us a Return of all the moneys that have already been advanced.

§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR
I have already undertaken that such a Return will be prepared.

§ MR. BRYCE
As to the question of special grants as distinct from ordinary loans, I think experience has shown that the course the right hon. Gentleman proposes to take is called for. I would like to suggest, further, that, as the Bill will include a great many points of detail not mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman, some of which are subjects of difficulty, judging from what I know of the difficulty of working the present Act, I think it is desirable that a considerable interval should be allowed to elapse between the printing of the Bill and the taking of the Second Beading. As we will not be back till the 18th, I do not think the right hon. Gentleman should take the Second Reading within a fortnight or three weeks from that date, 381 because it is desirable that the provisions should become thoroughly known. Subject to that, and perfect freedom when details are considered, I have no objection to offer to the introduction of the Bill.