§ 83. Mr. BOWERMANaskekd the Home Secretary whether he has received representation from local authorities regarding the insufficient lighting of the streets; and whether he will advise the controlling authority to relax the prevailing regulations and allow municipal authorities to remove the light-shading devices at present in use on street lamps and in shops, thereby brightening the thoroughfares and making the fullest use of the existing gas and electric supplies?
§ 84. Sir A. YEOasked the Home Secretary if he will cause instructions to be issued for the removal of all obstructions to the proper lighting of public vehicles, also to give public authorities power to have all street lighting improved by the removing of all arrangements made to obstruct light, in the interest of public safety and comfort; and whether, seeing that this can be done without extra consumption, he will take stops forthwith?
§ 86. Mr. KINGasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the present military situation, he will allow public and private clocks to strike the hours at night and lights from windows to be exposed in inland places?
§ 89. Captain BARNETTasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to a statement by the City coroner that the number of street accidents is increasing and is largely due to reduced lighting; whether he is aware that at several inquests held in London during the past fortnight, and more particularly in the cases of Arthur William Pinson, aged twelve, Elizabeth Ann Soden, aged seventy-seven, and Gilbert Russell George Davison, aged seven, coroners' juries have added riders to their verdicts urging that the paint should be removed from the glass under-parts of street lamps so as to provide greater illumination with the same expenditure of gas or electricity; and, if so, whether he will direct the police to give immediate effect to this recommendation?
116. Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has come to a decision as to the partial or total removal of the restriction of the lighting of streets in the London suburbs, apart from restrictions necessary in the interests of fuel economy?
§ 154. Mr. BOWERMANasked the President of the Local Government Board if he has received representations from Metropolitan local bodies regarding the inadequate lighting of the streets; and whether he will consult the responsible authorities with a view to the present regulations being relaxed to the extent of removing the light-shading devices from street lamps and shops, thereby utilising the existing gas and electric supplies to the fullest advantage?
§ Mr. BRACEInstructions were given yesterday morning that the shading of 2503 street lamps and of the windows of shops and houses may be removed, and additional street lamps may be lighted where those in use are less than half the normal number; but in view of the shortage of coal not more than half should be brought into use, and the prohibition of lights in shop windows and of advertisement lights must for the present be maintained. The Commissioner of Police has given instructions that trams and omnibuses may resume normal lighting, except that in the interests of safety the canopy lights and headlights on trams should not at present be increased. As to the lighting of public vehicles, Instructions have already been issued by the Commissioner of Police. All restrictions on the ringing of bells and the striking of clocks are at an end.
§ Mr. BOYLE (by Private Notice)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that the New Lighting Restrictions Order in Ireland is strongly objected to by traders in country towns, not on the ground of the number of hours allowed for lighting, but on the arrangement of those hours, whether he is aware that in Ballina, county Mayo, under the old arrangements less light was consumed than under the new Order, though the new arrangement will totally dislocate its business; and whether he will suggest to the responsible authority, that whilst the number of hours allowed for lighting should be fixed, the daily distribution of those hours should be fixed in each town to suit local convenience?
§ Mr. SHORTTI only received notice of this question by post this morning. Representations in the sense indicated in the question have been received, and are under consideration. An Amending Order is in course of preparation and will be published shortly.