HC Deb 13 December 1926 vol 200 cc2722-4

Lords Amendment:

In page 19, line 20, at the end, insert, (2) Where an application is made by any authorised undertakers to the Minister of Transport or the Electricity Commissioners for their consent or approval under the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1882 to 1922, in any case where such consent or approval is by those Acts required, the Minister or Commissioners, in determining whether to give or withhold the consent or approval, shall have regard to the provisions of this Act and the effect of any scheme or proposed scheme thereunder.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL

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

The effect is to ensure that the Electricity Commissioners and the Ministry of Transport, in considering whether to give their approval where required to do so under an earlier Act, shall have regard to the provisions of the scheme, so that we shall not get the ridiculous position of a scheme of the Electricity Commissioners allowing, say, the erection of a new generating station, and the Electricity Commissioners themselves refusing to allow it.

Mr. ATTLEE

I think it is rather ridiculous to put in this Amendment. It means that when the Electricity Commissioners make a scheme, the Electricity Commissioners are forbidden to do something to upset their own scheme. It is not likely that they will, and I think we are overloading the Bill by assuming that anyone in authority in electricity matters is necessarily a lunatic.

Lords Amendment:

In page 19, line 20, at the end, insert new Clause A:

(Special provisions as to London.) Where any obligation to carry out any technical scheme imposed on a joint electricity authority, local authority, company or body by or under the London and Home Counties Electricity District Order, 1925, or the London Electricity (No. 1) Act, 1925, or the London Electricity (No. 2) Act, 1925, conflicts with any obligation arising out of a scheme under Section four of this Act which is imposed by or under this Act, on any such authority, company or body, the last mentioned obligation shall prevail.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL

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

Under the London Acts and the London Order of 1925 certain obligations are imposed on company undertakers to carry out a technical scheme in a district in so far as it relates to the companies. As a matter of fact, a technical scheme has not yet been prepared in the form proposed by the Act. If and when a scheme is proposed under the 1925 Act, it is clear that it must not run contrary to any scheme proposed under this Bill, and the Amendment seeks to reconcile any possible divergences between the two schemes.

Mr. ATTLEE

Here again we have the position that a scheme has been prepared by the London Joint Electricity Authority. It is taken to the Electricity Commissioners, and the Electricity Commissioners are to approve of it. They are to make a scheme for that area, and it is thought necessary to put in something to say that the Electricity Commissioners shall not quarrel with themselves

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL

It is not quite so absurd as the hon. Member thinks, because he will remember that, although the Electricity Commissioners approve the scheme, it has to go to the Board, who may modify it, and after that it has to go to an arbitrator in some circumstances, who sometimes may modify it again, so that it may not be quite the same scheme as that which the Commissioners approved.