§ (1) It shall be the duty of every local authority to enforce the provisions of this Act within their district, and for that purpose any male or female person or officer whom the local authority may appoint shall have power, if so authorised by the local authority, to institute and carry on any proceedings which the local authority is authorised to institute and carry on under this Act.
§ (2) In this Act the expression "local authority" means—
- as respects the City of London, the common council;
- as respects any municipal borough, the council of the borough;
- as respects any urban district, the district council;
- elsewhere, the county council:
§ Provided that the London County Council may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, make arrangements with the council of any Metropolitan borough for the exercise by the Metropolitan borough as agents for the London County Council, on such terms and subject to such conditions as may be agreed on, of any powers of the London County Council under this Act within the district of the Metropolitan borough, and the council of the Metropolitan borough may, as part of the agreement, undertake to pay the whole or any part of the expense incurred in connection with the exercise of the powers delegated to them.
§ (3) The expenses of a local authority under this Act shall be defrayed—
- in the case of the common council of City of London, out of the general rate;
- in the case of the council of a borough, out of the borough fund or borough rate;
- in the case of a district council, as part of the general expenses incurred in the execution of the Public Health Acts;
- in the case of a county council, as expenses for special county purposes;
- in the case of a Metropolitan borough council, as part of the expenses of the council.
§ Mr. GOLDSMITHI beg to move, in Sub-section (3), after the word "Acts" ["in the execution of the Public Health Acts"] to insert the words "in the case of the London County Council, as expenses for general county purposes." I hope the right hon. Gentleman will accept the Amendment. The object is not to put the charge on a special county rate, which the City will not have to pay.
Mr. CAWLEYI hope the hon. Member will not press his Amendment. The hon. Baronet who represents the City of London (Sir F. Banbury) was interested in it, and I believe he understood that it would not come on.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Ellis Griffith)The point is whether or not the assessable value of the City of London should come under this Bill. I understood from a statement made to me that the hon. Gentleman was not going to proceed with the Amendment.
§ Mr. GOLDSMITHI told the hon. Member that if there were any opposition I would not press the Amendment, as I did not want to endanger the Bill. I have moved it because I was asked to do so by the London County Council, but in the face of the opposition I am quite ready to withdraw it.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.