HC Deb 12 December 1927 vol 211 cc2060-2
Mr. LANSBURY

I beg to move, in page 4, line 16, to leave out from the word "accounts," to the word "before," and to insert instead thereof the words "in respect of expenditure incurred."

This Amendment and the next Amendment I move is in order that this Act shall not be retrospective, and that persons who have been engaged in the work of local government shall not be surcharged for expenditure incurred before the passing of the Act, Before the time given in the Act. I believe the Minister of Health intends to meet us on this Amendment, and I will content myself therefore with moving it.

Mr. BECKETT

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

As the hon. Member has correctly inferred, I do propose to meet him on this Amendment. I desire that to-morrow, if possible, we shall have a clean slate, and I do not want any ragged ends in respect of any action that we have taken. Though I think the hon. Member's Amendment goes a little too far, I am willing to make this Sub-section apply only to expenditure or losses incurred before the 31st day of October, 1927. That covers the expenditure incurred between March and October, 1927, and we will put in this Clause the same date as we have in Clause 1.

Mr. LANSBURY

Would you mind repeating that? I did not get the reference.

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

Perhaps I had better read out the Amendment. It will come in line 16 and leave out from the word "accounts" to the end of that Subsection, and insert the words "if and so far as they relate to expenditure or loss incurred before the 31st day of October, 1927."

Mr. SPEAKER

Does the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) withdraw his Amendment?

Mr. LANSBURY

I beg leave to withdraw my Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendment made:

In page 4, line 16, leave out from the word "accounts" to the end of line 17, and insert instead thereof the words "if and so far as they relate to expenditure or loss incurred before thirty-first day of October, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven."—[Mr. Lansbury.]

Sir K. WOOD

I beg to move, in page 4, to leave out from the word "schedule," in line 25, to the word "are" in line 31.

These are purely drafting Amendments rendered necessary by the passing of the Poor Law Act, 1927.

Amendment agreed to.