§ COLONEL DENNY (Kilmarnock Burghs)To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state how many Provisional Orders for electric lighting have been granted to local authorities and to others, respectively, during the five years ending 31st December, 1903; what was the average length of time granted by the Board of Trade for completion of the works; under how many of these Orders have works been begun; what is the nominal capital of the Companies or others applying for these Orders; in how many of the nders under which work has begun are the works being carried out by those to whom the original Order was granted; and is a clause generally inserted in the Provisional Order requiring an applicant to satisfy the Board of Trade within any stipulated time that substantial progress has been made.
(Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) The number of electric lighting Provisional Orders granted during the period named was 268 to local authorities, and 132 to companies and others. In nearly every case the length of time prescribed for the completion of the works in the streets specially named in the Order is two years. The Board of Trade have not the necessary information to enable them to state the number of Orders under which works have been begun or the nominal capital of the companies or others applying for the Orders. Powers have been transferred by the grantees to other bodies in thirty-five cases under special powers contained in the Orders. The Answer to the last inquiry is in the negative, but applicants (other than local authorities) are required within six months from the commencement of the Order to deposit or secure a specified sum as security for the execution of works and to show to the satisfaction of the Board of Trade that they are in a position fully and efficiently to discharge the duties and obligations imposed upon them by 1338 their Order throughout the area of supply.