ELECTRICITY (SUPPLY) ACTS. (Hansard, 14 December 1926)

§ Mr. BUCHANAN
I have no wish to oppose this Order. I rise for the purpose of asking the hon. and gallant Gentleman who takes the nominal position of representing the Ministry of Transport why it is that the House is deprived of the usual courtesy of the attendance of a representative of the Ministry of Transport? It is not good form in this House. I hope there is no illness and that nothing is wrong with the Minister of Transport or the Parliamentary Secretary. I would at least have expected one of them to be present.

§ Captain BOWYER
I can tell the hon. Member that it is not by any lack of courtesy that my hon. and gallant Friend is not here to-night but owing to this Motion coming on at an unexpected time, and owing to his having a public engagement elsewhere. He has asked me to take charge of this and I have been at pains to make myself acquainted with the contents of those Orders. I can assure hon. Members that they are purely formal and that there is no objection to them by anybody.

§ Mr. MAXTON
Last night, at this time, there were 10 Orders on the Paper. 2900 The hon. Member for Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan) raised a. protest and suggested that there was an honourable understanding in this House that never wore than eight should be taken on one night. The Minister of Transport, who was here last night made a touching appeal to us to let the 10 of them go this once, as there would be no other opportunity for them being considered, and that decent people. in the various localities would be left without gas and electricity. The hon. Member for Gorbals responded to that appeal in the same spirit and withdrew his opposition. Now we find three more to-night. I want to ask the hon. and gallant Gentleman representing the Ministry, in the unavoidable absence of the Parliamentary Secretary on another public engagement —which, after all, is secondary to the important duties the hon. Gentleman has to perform in this house; services to the country, after all, should come first—would it not have been fair to the House and in keeping with the honourable understanding if the 10 that were submitted last night and the three being submitted to-night had been halved as nearly as you can halve 13 so that we should have had six last night and seven to-night or seven last night and six tonight.

§ Captain BOWYER
I think the answer is twofold. First I can imagine that these Orders are taken as and when they become available from the other place, and by a process of time; and, secondly, it is important they should be taken from night. to night, because if they are postponed on any one night they might make to-morrow's ration, as it were, overloaded.