§ 57. Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that one of the local authorities affected by the Leeds extension proposals have declared that if it costs their township £20,000 and they defeat the object of the Leeds corporation it will be worth it; and whether, in view of such determined opposition, and the fact that there are many thousands of unemployed persons in and around Leeds, apart from the miners' strike, he will urge upon the Government the necessity of finding some means to prevent this extravagance?
§ Dr. ADDISONAs I have intimated in reply to previous questions I am most anxious to reduce the expense of the local inquiries into proposals for borough extensions. I am endeavouring to arrange to discuss this question with representatives of the local authorities concerned in the Leeds and Bradford extension schemes.
§ Mr. LUNNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the strong opposition of many Members of this House in all parts against imposing these burdens on local rates at this time, when they are already overburdened in meeting local requirements?
§ Dr. ADDISONYes, I am entirely in agreement with my hon. Friend, but his suggestion that this is due in any way to the Ministry of Health and the Government is entirely incorrect. It is entirely due to the administration and disposition of the authorities themselves.
§ Dr. ADDISONI have no power to prevent it.
§ Mr. LANE-FOX (by Private Notice)asked the Minister of Health whether he has now arranged to discuss with the authorities concerned the question of the expenses involved in the borough extension proposals of the Cities of Leeds and Bradford?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have invited all the authorities concerned to meet me before the end of the present month, in order to discuss what steps can be taken to minimise the expenses involved in the inquiry. The West Riding County 379 Council made a proposal to the Leeds Corporation that they should both forego the employment of Counsel and expert witnesses, and the Leeds Corporation were quite willing to fall in with this proposal if all the other local authorities would adopt the same course. But I understand that, in spite of the willingness of the City of Leeds, some of the other authorities have not yet seen their way to agree.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXUntil this question of expense is settled cannot the right hon. Gentleman use his absolute discretion to hold up these extension proposals?
§ Dr. ADDISONI do not propose to authorise the inquiries, certainly until after this conference has met. I cannot agree with my hon. Friend as to an absolute discretion. There has to be a special reason for holding up the inquiry, and opposition is not a special reason. I have no control over economy. It is the local authorities themselves who are engaged in an orgy of expense.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXDoes not enormous expense constitute a special reason?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have taken the best legal advice I cap and I wish that I could be advised that it was a special reason, but unfortunately you have this expenditure involved in every case, and it is clearly not a special reason. Otherwise, if you took that to be a special reason, the whole Act would be reduced to a nullity.
§ Lord R. CECILWould not great expenditure at this time and in existing circumstances be a special reason? This is not an ordinary case.
§ Dr. ADDISONI am daily taking legal advice on this subject. I am just as anxious as my hon. Friends to do anything I can to prevent this expenditure, and I am awaiting this conference to see if anything can be done. I shall spare no effort to prevent legal expenditure being incurred.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSWhy not stop these proceedings?