HC Deb 22 July 1919 vol 118 cc1287-9

(3) The Local Government Board may approve any such scheme or any part thereof "without modification or subject to such modifications as they may think fit, and the scheme or part thereof when so approved shall be binding on the local authority; but if the Board consider the scheme inadequate they may refuse to approve the scheme and require the authority to prepare and submit to them an adequate scheme within such time as they may fix, or they may approve the scheme subject to the condition that the authority prepare and submit to them a further scheme within such time as they may fix.

  1. (5) Where the local authorities concerned or the Local Government Board are of opinion that a scheme should be made affecting the areas of two or more local authorities, such a scheme shall be prepared by the local authorities jointly and may provide for joint action being taken by those local authorities and for the apportiontionment amongst the authorities of any expenses incurred in carrying the scheme into effect.
  2. (6) Local authorities in preparing, and the Local Government Board in approving, schemes shall have regard to any proposals by other bodies and persons to provide housing accommodation.

Lords Amendments:

In Sub-section (3), after the word scheme" ["they may approve the scheme subject to "], insert the words "or part thereof. —Agreed to.

At the end of Sub-section (3) insert the words Provided that local authorities in preparing, and the Local Government Bon id in approving, any scheme shall take in to account, and, so far as possible, preserve existing elections of architectural, historic, or artistic interest, and shall have regard to the natural amenities of the locality, and in order to secure that the houses proposed to be built under the scheme shall be of a suitable architecture, and that the natural amenities of the locality shall not be unnecessarily injured, the Local Government Board may. in any case where it appears to them that the character of the locality renders such a course expedient, require as a condition of their approval the employment by the "deal authority of an architect to be selected from a panel of architects nominated by the Royal Institute of British Architects. (4) Before the Local Government Board finally approve a scheme. The local authority shall furnish to them estimates of the cost of the scheme and of the rents expected to be derived from the houses provided under the scheme.

—Agreed to.

In Sub-section (5), leave out the words and may provide for joint action bring taken by those local authorities and for the apportionment amongst the authorities of any expenses incurred in carrying the scheme into effect, and insert instead thereof the words (and the local authority of each area to which any part of any such joint scheme applies may, or, if the Local Government Hoard after giving the local authority an opportunity of being heard, so direct, shall carry out that part of of the joint scheme and for the purposes of this Sub-section 'local authority' shall in any case where the Local Government Board consent, and subject-to any conditions which the Board may prescribe, include a county council.") —Agreed to.

Lord Amendment:

Leave out the words "have regard to" ["shall have regard to any proposals"], and insert instead thereof the words make inquiry respecting and take in to account.

Mr. T. THOMSON

I should like to ask the Minister of Health whether this is a drafting Amendment? This question was discussed in Committee, and the words which are sought to be inserted by the other House were, if I remember rightly, rejected by the Committee on the broad ground that they might make considerable delay in the preparing of these schemes. Though they look comparatively innocent in themselves, any local authority that was not anxious to speed up matters could use the phrasing now suggested as a means of delay, and it would be necessary to make considerable inquiries as to what building was likely to be going on by authorities, by institutions, and by private builders in the district. It was felt by the Committee, I think almost unanimously, that it was very undesirable to leave that opportunity for delay and the words were, after very careful consideration, put in as they appeared in the Bill when it left this House.

Dr. ADDISON

This does not do really more than put in a reasonable form of words what is meant by "have regard to." It is a distinction largely without a difference. It does not involve the detailed inquiry of individual persons that would have been necessary under the form of words discussed in Committee, and, though I cannot say that I have a particular affection for these words, I do not think the point is one on which it is worth while to express disagreement with their Lordships. I therefore move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

Question put, and agreed to.