HC Deb 29 October 1920 vol 133 cc2166-7

  1. (1) There shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom or the growing produce thereof and as soon as may be after the appointed day paid thereout to each of the Exchequers of Southern and Northern Ireland a sum of £1,000,000 for the purpose of making provision for the establishment of the Parliaments and Governments thereof,
  2. (2) Pending the determination of the Irish residuary share of reserved taxes by the Joint Exchequer Board for the first year in which that share is to be paid, the Treasury may make such payments on account of that share into the Exchequers of Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland as the Joint Exchequer Board may direct.
  3. (3) The Joint Exchequer Board may authorise the Lord Lieutenant to make such payments from the Exchequers of Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland as may be necessary in order to provide for bringing this Act into operation, but no such authority shall be given as respects the Exchequer of Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland after the expiration of a period of three months from the first meeting of the Parliament of Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland, as the case may be.

Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANS

I beg to move, in Sub-section (1), to leave out the words each of the Exchequers of Southern and Northern Ireland a sum of one million pounds for the purpose of making provision for the establishment of the Parliaments and Governments thereof and to insert instead thereof the words the Exchequers of Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively such sums as the Joint Exchequer Board may certify to be necessary for the purpose of providing buildings (including the sites thereof) and for their equipment for the accommodation of the Parliaments and public Departments in Southern and Northern Ireland respectively.

Question, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause," put, and negatived.

Question proposed, "That the proposed words be there inserted."

Captain CRAIG

I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is quite satisfied that the words "public departments" will cover such buildings as the Law Courts, or buildings to house the Incorporated Law Society, if such a body should be set up? It seems to me doubtful whether the words would include such bulidings, and I should be glad if the right hon. Gentleman would look into the matter, and, if, necessary, add a word or two on Report to include such buildings.

Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANS

It is intended to include the Law Courts, and I will see whether the words "public departments" do include them, but the Incorporated Law Society is not in any sense a Government institution, and I cannot say that we shall provide buildings for it any more than for the local College of Surgeons or the local Veterinary Surgeons. Those are professions, and they must provide buildings for themselves.

Captain CRAIG

I think I am right in saying—the Attorney-General will correct me if I am wrong—that the very fine building in Dublin in which the Incorporated Law Society is at present housed is a Government building, provided out of Government funds.

Proposed words there inserted.

Further Amendment made: Leave out Sub-section (2).—[Sir L. Worthington-Evans.]

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.