HC Deb 22 December 1919 vol 123 cc1132-4

(1) A district electricity board shall have power to supply electricity within their district subject to the following limitations, that is to say, the board shall not supply electricity—

  1. (a) in any area which for the time being forms part of the area of supply of any authorised distributors without the consent of those distributors, except to railway, canal, or inland navigation companies or authorities for the purposes of traction or haulage, or for lighting vehicles and vessels for the haulage or traction of which electricity is supplied; or
  2. (b) in any part of the area of supply of a power company fir any purpose for 1133 Which the company are therein authorised to supply electricity without the consent of the company except to the previous owner of a generating station which has been acquired by the district electricity board:
Provided that where the authorised distributors or power company refuse or withhold their consent, the district electricity board may appeal to the Electricity Commissioners as to whether the consent is unreasonably refused or withheld, and the Board of Trade on the recommendation of the Electricity Commissioners may dispense with such consent if in their opinion it; is unreasonably refused or withheld, and the consent shall be deemed to be unreasonably refused or withheld if the authorised distributors or power company are not willing and in a position to give the requisite supply upon reasonable terms and within a reasonable time, and in considering what are reasonable terms and what is a reasonable time the Board of Trade shall amongst other things have regard to the terms upon which and the time within which the district electricity board and the authorised distributors or power company are willing and able to give the supply, and the terms upon which the authorised distributors or power company are themselves supplied by the district electricity board, including the period of time for which such terms are to be binding. (2) This Act shall in relation to every district electricity board be deemed to be a special Act for the purposes of the Electric Lighting Acts, and every district electricity hoard shall be deemed to be undertakers within the meaning of those Acts, and for the purposes of this Section there shall be incorporated with this Act the provisions of the Schedule to the Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act, 1899, subject to such exemptions and modifications as may be prescribed by the Order constituting the district electricity board: Provided that Sections two and three of the Electric Lighting Act, 1888 (which relate to the purchase of undertakings by local authorities), shall not apply to the undertakings of district electricity boards. (3) Subject to the limitations hereinbefore contained on the powers of a district electricity board to supply electricity, the Electricity Commissioners may by Order, after such inquiry as they think fit, impose on any district electricity board an obligation to supply electricity in such circumstances, within such areas, and on such terms and conditions as to price and otherwise as may be specified in the Order.

Lords Amendments: In Sub-section (1), leave out the words "district electricity board," and insert instead thereof the words "joint electricity authority"[three times].—Agreed to.

Leave out the word "board" ["the board shall not "], and insert instead thereof the word "authority"—Agreed to.

In Sub-section (1, a). after the word "supplied," insert the words "or for the purposes of charging or recharging electric vehicles not running on. rails."—Agreed to.

In Sub-section (1, b) leave out the words "acquired by the district electricity board," and insert instead thereof the words transferred to the joint, electricity authority or for the purpose of charging or recharging electric vehicles not running on rails.

—Agreed to.

After the word "are" ["company are willing"], insert the word "respectively."—Agreed to.

Leave out the words "the terms upon which" ["and the terms upon which"], and insert instead thereof the word "where"—Agreed to.

Leave out the words "district electricity board" ["district electricity board including"], and insert instead thereof the words joint electricity authority, the terms upon which they are so supplied

—Agreed to.

In Sub-section (2), leave out the words "district electricity board"[three times], and insert instead thereof the words" joint electricity authority"—Agreed to.

Leave out the, words "district electricity boards," and insert instead thereof the words "joint electricity authorities"—Agreed to.

In Sub-section (3), leave out the words "district electricity hoard," and insert instead thereof the words "joint electricity authority"—Agreed to.