§ (1) Any local authority, company, or person authorised to supply electricity in any area may, with the consent of the Board of Trade, supply at any point within that area electricity for the purposes of haulage or traction on any railway, tramway, or canal situate partly within and partly without that area, and for the purposes of lighting vehicles and vessels used on any such railway, tramway, or canal; but the Board of Trade shall not in any case give any such consent until notice of the application for the consent has been given by advertisement or otherwise in such manner as the Board of Trade may direct, and an opportunity has been given to any person who appears to the Board to be affected of stating any objections he may have thereto.
§ (2) The Board of Trade may by Provisional Order authorise any such local authority, company, or person so to supply electricity to be used for purposes incidental to the working or lighting of the railway, tramway, or canal, other than the purposes aforesaid.
§ (3) A company, local authority, or body receiving a supply of electricity under this section shall not use the electricity in such manner as to cause or to be likely to cause any interference with Government observatories or laboratories, or observatories or laboratories now or hereafter erected, owned, or managed in pursuance of any present or future statutory enactment, but this sub-section shall not apply to any such company, local authority, or body who by any Art of Parliament or Order con- 1740 firmed by or having the effect of an Act of Parliament containing provisions for the protection of such observatories or laboratories are authorised to use electricity for the purposes for which a supply is authorised to be given under this Section.
§ Mr. W. THORNE moved, in Section (1) after the word "canal"["and for the purposes of lighting vehicles and vessels used on any such railway, tramway, or canal"], to insert the words, "and may also, with the consent of the Board of Trade, supply at any point within that area electricity for use at docks situate partly within and partly without that area."
§ I move this with a view to obtain an explanation from the Board of Trade. The London Port Authority have already applied to the Borough of West Ham to supply them with electricity for driving some new pumps they are putting down at the Royal Victoria Docks. They have power, under Clause 5, to supply any canal or railway, but not to supply docks. If the Secretary to the Board of Trade, however, would give a broad interpretation of Clause 6, I am under the impression that the local authority would have the power to supply the docks, and, if I can have an assurance on that point, I shall not press my Amendment.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. H. J. Tennant)The hon. Member is correct in thinking they would be able to supply under Clause 6; but, even if that would not be so, in the case he has in mind the West Ham Borough Council could supply the Victoria Docks under the existing law. I understand they are partly in East and partly in West Ham. It will be possible, under Clause 18 of the Electric Lighting Act, 1882, to supply them. There is, therefore, no necessity for the Amendment.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.