§ Where a representation has been made to a Secretary of State under Section Fifty-four of the Local Government Act, 1888, as amended by any subsequent enactment, to the effect that it is desirable to alter the boundary of any electoral division of a county in England or Wales, or the number of county councillors and electoral divisions in any such county, and where such notice of the proposal in the representation has been given as may have been prescribed by the Secretary of State or inserted in a Statute, the Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, make an Order under the said Section without causing any local inquiry to be made:
§ Provided that if any local authority in or for the county, or any number of local government electors registered for any electoral division in the county, not being less than one hundred or than one-sixth of the electors, whichever number is the smaller, petition the Secretary of State against the proposal in the representation, the Secretary of State shall not make an Order without a local inquiry.
§ Mr. SHORTTI beg to move, after the word "State" ["prescribed by the Secretary of State"], to leave out the words "or inserted in a Statute." The words proposed to be left out were inserted in Committee to deal with the case of any regulations. There are no such regulations, and therefore the words are superfluous, and can be omitted.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI understand that the Amendments on the Paper to the Schedule are consequential upon the Amendments ruled out of order.
§ Bill to be read the Third time To-morrow.