§ Considered in Committee.
§ [Colonel Sir J. CRAIG in the Chair.]
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to amend the Law with respect to the supply of Gas, it is expedient to authorise the payment, out of moneys to be provided by Parliament, for two years after the passing of such Act, by way of advance to the extent that may be necessary, of the expenditure of the Board of Trade in the execution of their powers and duties under such Act, such instalments in each case to be repaid in the next three succeeding years."—[Mr. Bridgeman.]
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Bridgeman)The Committee will remember that the Gas Regulation Bill was received in this House with a very gratifying approval, carried without a Division, and with an enthusiasm unparalleled by any other measure of this Session. This resolution is necessary in order to finance the Bill. I did explain, I think on the Second Reading of the Bill, what the money was required for. Under the Bill the Board of Trade has to appoint a chief gas examiner and three gas referees for the whole of the country. At present there is a gas examiner and there are referees, but only for the Metropolitan area. What is proposed in the Bill is that the same principle should be extended to cover the whole of the country. At the present time the London examiner and referees are paid for by funds raised by the Metropolitan gas companies, and, under this Bill, it is proposed that the expenses and salaries of the examiner and referees shall be raised by a levy on all the larger gas undertakings. That levy is not to exceed £15 for every 100,000,000 cubic feet of gas made. If you take the price of gas at an average of 5s. that means an expenditure of 10d. for every £100 worth of gas. The total amount, as is explained in the White Paper issued to the House, leviable under this Clause based on the amount of gas produced in 1919, is estimated at 1402 about £32,000. It will not be possible to raise this levy from the gas undertakers in time probably to pay the expenses completely for the first two years of the Bill coming into operation. All that is asked by this Resolution is that the Treasury shall advance for two years such sums as are required to pay these expenses, and that that amount shall be repaid with interest at the end of that time. This it not, therefore, a permanent payment on the part of the Exchequer; it is merely an advance for a period not exceeding two years, and the total annual expenditure it is anticipated, will not exceed £20,000. I hope, as it is most important that the Bill, having now been referred to Committee, shall be proceeded with at the earliest possible moment, that the Committee now will allow this Resolution to be approved.
§ Sir D. MACLEANThe White Paper which I hold in my hand and the speech to which the Committee has just listened appear to indicate that there is a reasonable possibility of an altogether remarkable state of affairs, namely, that this, at any rate, is a measure which if it works out anywhere within the ambit of reasonable probability will involve no extra charge upon the Exchequer. The means by which that happy and auspicious result is to be obtained is by a levy upon the gas undertakings. The smaller gas companies, as I understand it, will be exempt from this levy, which has only to fall upon the larger, richer, and more powerful undertakings. If that is so it is a very fortunate state of affairs, and I most heartily congratulate the hon. Gentleman on what is most distinctly an achievement, not only succeeded in getting a remarkable volume of acquiescence and hearty approval of the Second Reading, but, at the same time, he has achieved that purpose without any extra charge upon the Exchequer.
§ Resolution to be reported To-morrow.