§ * MR. REA (Gloucester)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the multiplication of the private Bills of companies established for the distribution of electrical energy, he intends to promote legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Joint Committee of 1898 to confer additional powers upon the Board of Trade, to enable the promoters of such Bills to acquire the necessary powers by means of Provisional Orders instead or by private Acts.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe recommendations of the Joint Committee have not been lost sight of, but I am unable to make any definite statement at present.