PETROLEUM (AMENDMENT) BILL (Hansard, 17 April 1928)

§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. William Watson)
I beg to move, That the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the Whole House in respect of the Amendment to Clause 5, page 6, line 13, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of the Lord Advocate. In the Committee stage of this Bill a new Clause was inserted, which is now Clause 5, giving power to make regulations to control the erection of petrol pumps from the point of view of protecting, the amenities of the countryside. We find it necessary in order to make the matter quite clear that there should be a short Scottish Application Clause dealing with two short points. One point is merely a question of the difference of the spelling of burgh in Scotland and borough in England, and the other point refers to the different incidence of rating in Scotland as compared with England. Whereas in England, as I understand, occupiers only are rated, in Scotland it is quite a familiar procedure in regard to the majority of the rates, that one-half fall on the occupiers and one-half on the owners. Therefore, it was necessary to have an Application Clause in regard to that matter to make sure that the charge should fall upon the ordinary general 126 ratepayer. As that affects a rating charge, it was an Amendment which could not competently be made upon the Report stage. Therefore, formally, I ask the House to assent to a recommittal of the Bill for the sole purpose of inserting the Amendment.

§ Mr. KIRKWOOD
The Lord Advocate says that there is a difference in the manner of rating in England and Scotland. I would like to be perfectly clear on the matter. He said that in England it was only the landlord who was rated.

§ The LORD ADVOCATE
No, the occupier.

§ Mr. KIRKWOOD
Not the landlord, whereas in Scotland the occupier and the landlord are rated equally. I would like the point made perfectly clear before we proceed further. I want to know exactly how we stand so far as Scotland is concerned in regard to the procedure in rating.

§ The LORD ADVOCATE
I cannot speak again except by leave of the House. The point is that in England the rate is entirely on occupiers, and therefore there is no reason to make any special reference to the matter in the Clause. In Scotland the majority of the rates in town and country are half on owners and half on occupiers, and it is necessary to make special provision for Scotland.