LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL (GENERAL POWERS) BILL [BY ORDER]. (Hansard, 14 March 1902)

(3.10.) THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF WAYS AND MEANS (Mr. JKFFREYS,) Hampshire, N.
In reference to this Bill I have to inform the House that I have received a letter from the Agents, in which they state they have been instructed to agree to Amendments to Clause 43 (Milk Supply) contained in an Instruction to the Committee placed on the Order Paper by the hon. Members for South Somerset and Kent (Ashford). Part XII. of the Bill (Fire Insurance), in regard to which Instructions are down on the Paper, in the names of the hon. Members for Peebles, Tower Hamlets, and the Uxbridge Division, will be dropped altogether. I am perfectly certain that this arrangement will be strictly adhered to, and that, I think, disposes of the Instructions to the Committee. There is another matter with regard to this Bill which it is my duty to bring before the House. The Bill proposes to confer on certain metropolitan boroughs powers which, if acquired at all, ought to be obtained by the councils of those boroughs by their own Act. Although this is a County Council Bill, the Fulham Borough Council and the Camberwell Borough Council are empowered to purchase land for open spaces and to borrow money for that purpose. I believe there is no precedent for granting compulsory powers to local authorities, otherwise than in Acts promoted by the local authorities themselves. The Battersea Borough Council in one case no doubt was allowed to raise money, but it was not granted compulsory powers. I do not wish to oppose the Bill on this ground, but I have felt it my duty to refer to this particular provision. It is for the House to say what course it will take on it.

§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)
asked if there was any reason to suppose that the localities affected had agreed to the granting of these powers.

§ MR. JOHN BURNS (Battersea)
said it might simplify matters if he at once said that what was contentious in this Bill did not spring from the County Council itself, but emanated from the Borough Councils which, from motives of economy, promptitude and dispatch, had asked the London County Council to insert in their 13 General Powers Bill provisions as regards Camberwell and for the purchase of land for open spaces. He could assure the hon. Member for North Islington that any clause in the Bill giving power to a Borough Council had been put in at the request of the Borough Council, and the County Council ought not to be prejudiced in regard to their own part of the Bill. The County Council had authorised him to abandon Part XII. of the Bill, relating to municipal fire insurance. That provision was inserted in the Bill in accordance with a request made at a conference of representatives of the County Council, the City Corporation and the Borough Councils. It had been found that in the last fifteen years the County Council had paid £15,000 in premiums, and had only obtained £1,000 for damage to property. The Borough Councils were suffering in a similar manner, and the London School Board had decided not to insure their property. In consequence of the opposition of insurance societies and other vested interests, the County Council had been compelled to abandon this excellent provision, because they did not wish to jeopardise other important schemes in the Bill, such as the purchase of the Marble-hill Estate, for the preservation of the Richmond-hill view, and the purchase of open spaces. He was also asked by the Council not to oppose the Instruction to be moved by the hon. Member for South Somerset in regard to the milk supply. He hoped the Bill would be read a second time.

§ MR. COHEN (Islington, E.)
was glad that the hon. Member had announced that it was not intended to insist on the fire insurance clause. But he wished to say he had strong reasons for doubting whether the Borough Councils were absolutely in accord on the question of fire insurance. No doubt the clause was the outcome of a meeting at the County Hall, but he was not sure that that gathering was authoritatively representative of the Borough Councils.

§ MR. CORBIE GRANT (Warwickshire, Rugby)
wished to know whether the assent of the ratepayers had been obtained in reference to the powers proposed to be conferred on certain Borough Councils. Also would they have power to appear 14 before the Committee upstairs should any of them wish to object to this proposal.

§ MR. STUART WORTLEY (Sheffield, Hallam)
suggested that the Committee before which the Bill would go would be competent to deal with the question, provided somebody had a local standing enabling them to vindicate the principle involved. The House might therefore allow the Bill to be read a second time, reserving its right to deal with the matter at a later date.