HC Deb 31 July 1916 vol 84 cc2236-8

(1) Where by virtue of any Act or Order confirmed by Act of Parliament regulating the undertaking of any company, authority, or person authorised to supply gas in any area in the United Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as the undertakers), the gas supplied by the undertakers is required to be of a prescribed illuminating power, and the undertakers are liable to penalties in the case of the illuminating power of the gas provided by them being less than, or being less by a prescribed extent than such prescribed illuminating power, then on application being made by the undertakers the appropriate Government Department may if they think it expedient, and subject to such conditions, if any, as they consider proper, by order—

  1. (a) substitute for the prescribed standard of illuminating power a prescribed standard of calorific power;
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  2. (b) exempt the undertakers from penalties in respect of a deficiency in illuminating power and substitute for the provisions imposing such penalties provisions imposing penalties in the case of deficiency in calorific power; and
  3. (c) substitute for the provisions as to testing for illuminating power provisions as to testing for calorific power;
and on the making of such an order the special Act or Order regulating the undertaking shall have effect as amended by the Order.

Lords Amendment: In Sub-section (1), after the word "proper" ["as they consider proper"], insert the words "including such variation as they may think desirable of the prescribed pressure at which the gas is to be supplied."

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

Mr. RAWLINSON

I did not know that this Bill was going to be taken tonight. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would give us some explanation.

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Pretyman)

This Amendment is moved by request of the Board of Trade. It is merely to enable the pressure to be increased. The Bill substitutes a calorific for a lighting standard, and it is necessary, in order to get the full benefit out of the incandescent burner to which the calorific standard applies that the pressure should be slightly increased. Otherwise the consumer would suffer, and it is in the interests of the consumer to enable the Board of Trade, in considering applications of this kind, to make it a condition that if they allow the undertaker to adopt a calorific standard, as authorised under the Bill instead of remaining under a lighting standard, they may require a rather higher pressure to be applied in order to improve the lighting to the consumer.

Lords Amendment agreed to.

Lords further Amendment agreed to:

In Sub-section (1) leave out the word "special" ["the special Act or Order"].

The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.

Whereupon Mr. SPEAKER, pursuant to the Order of the House of the 22nd February, proposed the Question, "That this House do now adjourn."