HC Deb 26 April 1929 vol 227 cc1237-8

Lords Amendment: In page 43, line 13, leave out Sub-section (1) and insert: (1) On a vacancy arising after the commencement of this Act in the office of medical officer of health or sanitary inspector of a small burgh, the medical officer of health or sanitary inspector, as the case may be, of the county within which the burgh is situated shall ipso facto become the medical officer of health or sanitary inspector for the burgh, and such proportion of the salaries and expenses of such officer as the county council and the town council may agree shall be paid by the town council to the county council, and, failing agreement, as may be determined by the Department of Health.

Sir J. GILMOUR

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

This Amendment deals with the Sanitary Clause, and I advise the House to disagree with the Lords Amendment.

Mr. W. WATSON

I desire to support the proposal of the Secretary of State for Scotland on this occasion. When this question was before the House I drew attention to the very considerable hardship which would be imposed upon certain burghs if they had burgh surveyors who were not also sanitary inspectors. On that occasion I think we convinced the Government that it was necessary to allow the smaller burghs to retain their sanitary inspectors, and we wanted to make sure that the men who held the posts of sanitary inspectors should be men who were fully qualified for the job. The Government brought in an Amendment to that effect, and I think it is a wise thing that small burghs should be allowed to retain their sanitary inspectors.

Mr. WESTWOOD

I want to thank the Government for the course that they have decided to take. This is one of the small privileges left to the small burghs, who were rather perturbed when this Amendment was agreed to in another place. I know a good many people are anxiously waiting to hear the pronouncement of the Government in regard to this Amendment, and there will be great satisfaction to know that the Government have a little backbone which enables them to face up to the other House.

Question, "That this House doth disagree with the Lords in the said Amendment" put, and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendment in page 43, line 40, agreed to.