§ Ordered, "That the Lords Amendment be now considered.''— [Lieut. Colonel Henderson.]
§ Lords Amendment considered accordingly.
§ CLAUSE 24.—(Act to supersede other Acts, etc.)
§ Lords Amendment:
§
In page 17, lines 31 to 36, leave out paragraph (a) and insert the following new paragraph:
(a) None of the provisions of this Act excepting the provisions contained in Section seven and Sub-sections (2) and (3) of Section eight shall apply to members of the London Fire Brigade, and Section 6even shall apply to a. professional fireman removing to or from the London Fire Brigade.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt appears to me that this Amendment may possibly involve a charge upon the rates, and, therefore, it is my duty to direct the attention of the House to that question, before we proceed to deal with the Amendment, If the House accept the Amendment, a special entry will be made in the Journals.
Lieut.-Colonel HENDERSONI beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.'
The House will remember that when this Bill was passing through its Report stage I moved an Amendment to regularise the position of the London County Council Fire Brigade under the Bill, the London County Council Brigade being excluded from the provisions of the Bill. We found it necessary, however, that they should come under the provisions of the Bill in so far as the transfer rights of men going from London to the Provinces, or vice versa, were concerned, as otherwise men would lose their pension rights on transfer, and that was not desirable. I moved an Amendment which we thought would cover the point, but, after the Bill had gone to another place, the legal advisers of the London County Council informed me that the point was not fully covered, partly because the words I had used were not so clear as they should have been, and partly because the Sub-section referred only to Clause 7, which deals with continuous service in two or more brigades, while it should have referred also to Clause 8, which deals with discontinuous service in two or more brigades. Therefore, an Amendment was moved in the other House, which is the Amendment now under con- 1986 sideration. I quite appreciate the point that it might in certain circumstances involve an increased charge in the case of men who had carried out discontinuous service in two or more brigades, but the number of men so involved is very small indeed. I would ask the House to realise that it was our intention, when we moved the Amendment on Report, to include all such men, and it was purely owing to faulty drafting that the Amendment which was moved in this House did not cover the point so fully as we intended to do. In these circumstances, I hope the House will agree to waive its privileges, and will agree with the Amendment.
§ Mr. SPEAKERA special entry will be made.
§ The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.
§ ADJOURNMENT.
§ Resolved, "That this House do now adjourn."—[Commander Eyres Monsell.]
§ Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-six minutes after Eleven o'Clock.