HC Deb 19 July 1923 vol 166 cc2671-3

(1) Section twenty-six of the Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act. 1919 (which relates to by-laws respecting houses divided into separate tenements), shall, in its application to the administrative county of London, have effect—

(b) as if in paragraph (a) of Sub-section (10) of that Section for the words "for those purposes" there were substituted the words "under Section ninety-four of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891."

(2) By-laws made by the London County Council in pursuance of the said Section as so amended, may provide that the by-laws shall, either generally or as respects any particular metropolitan borough or any part thereof, have effect subject to such modifications, limitations or exceptions as may be specified in the by-laws.

Lords Amendment:

In Sub-section (1), leave out paragraph (b).

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

This Amendment must be considered in conjunction with the next one, the effect of them both being to substitute a new Sub-section for paragraph (b) in this Clause. This is a matter which concerns the making of by-laws in London, and in Committee a representative of the London County Council moved a Clause the effect of which would have been that the power to make by-laws relating to houses let as lodgings would have been vested in the London County Council, to the exclusion of the Metropolitan Borough Councils. That was objected to by the representatives of the Metropolitan Borough Councils, and by the Report stage they had, as I believe, come to an agreement as to what exactly would suit them both, that agreement taking the form of paragraph (b), which now appears in the Bill. In another place, however, paragraph (b) was objected to by representatives of the Metropolitan. Borough Councils on the ground that, so far as houses for the working classes were concerned, while the power to make by-laws had not been given to the London County Council, it had been taken away from the Metropolitan Borough Councils, and, consequently, the Sub-section which appears in the Amendment following this one was agreed upon between the London County Council and the Metropolitan Standing Joint Committee. It will be seen that it gives to the Metropolitan Borough Councils power to make by-laws with respect to houses to which the by-laws made by the London County Council do not apply, that is to say, houses let as lodgings. I understand that it has now been agreed to between the two bodies, and I hope the House will accept the Amendment.

Question, put and agreed to,

Lords Amendment:

At end of Sub-section (2) insert a new Sub-section— (3) As soon as any by-law made by the London County Council in pursuance of the said. Section as so amended come into force, all by-laws made by the council of any metropolitan borough under Section ninety-four of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, shall cease to have effect, but the council of a metropolitan borough shall themselves have power at any time after such by-laws have been made by the London County Council to make by-laws under the said Section ninety-four with respect to any houses or parts of houses in their area let in lodgings or occupied by members of more than one family to which the by-laws made by the London County Council do not apply.

Agreed to.