HC Deb 21 November 1917 vol 99 cc1292-3

(1) Where an urban district is coterminous With a registration area or is wholly contained in a registration area, this Part of this Act shall apply to that district as it applies to a municipal borough, with the substitution of the clerk of the urban district council for the town clerk, of the urban district council for the council of the borough, and of the general district rate for the borough fund or borough rate.

Mr. NIELD

I beg to move, in Sub-section (1), after the word " area " [" registration area or is wholly "l to insert the words, " which is a Parliamentary borough."

As the Bill stands now, the Clause is by no means clear, and the object of this Amendment is to make it workable. It has been contended that any urban district which is coterminous with or wholly contained in a registration area becomes autonomous for registration purposes without regard as to whether or not it is in a Parliamentary borough. Such a condition of things would make the Bill unworkable and would lead to confusion, as it cannot be intended that there should exist a separate registration officer and acting returning officer for every urban district, as the result would be that a large number of such officers would exist in one constituency. In my own county there are a number of urban districts in one constituency. As this Clause now stands confusion would undoubtedly arise, and I earnestly ask the Home Secretary to consider the matter, if not at this moment, at any rate, in another place.

Colonel SANDERS

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. FISHER

I understand that my hon. and learned Friend who moves this Amendment anticipates that there will be difficulty in the interpretation of the Bill. Perhaps for the sake of absolute harmony the Amendment might turn out to be an improvement, but at any rate we could afterwards rectify any difficulty which my hon. and learned Friend anticipates.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendment made: In Subsection (1), after the word " with " ["coterminous with "], leave out the words, " a registration," and insert instead thereof the word "such." —[Mr. Nield.]