HC Deb 22 March 1929 vol 226 cc1987-8

Lords Amendment: In page 6, line 38, after the word "amount," insert "if any."

Sir K. WOOD

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

This matter was raised by the Labour representatives in another place. It was suggested that the Clause as originally drafted did not have regard to a case in which there was no amount to be recovered from the recipient of relief or from the person liable for his maintenance. There will, of course, be a number of cases where a local authority will not impose any charge upon any individual, and it was to meet that point that the words "if any" are being inserted.

Question put, and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 7, line 39, after the word "committee," insert "or any sub-committee thereof."

Sir K. WOOD

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

This is merely in the nature of a drafting Amendment to provide that the scheme should determine not only the place of meeting of the guardians committee but also of their sub-committees.

Mr. ERNEST BROWN

I am not quite sure about the wisdom of inserting this Amendment. It seems to me that it is making the conditions too rigid from the point of view of small rural parishes. I do not wish to press my objection, but I think that in large county areas, where parishes are a long way from the county towns, the sub-committees ought themselves to have the power to determine where they will meet.

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I think the hon. Member will see that this is really put in to assist the small parishes. If we leave it undecided where these sub-committees are to meet, there is no guarantee that discussion will take place upon the various alternatives; but if this provision be inserted, everybody will have an opportunity to make representations about the place of meeting who does not agree with it.

Question put, and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendment agreed to.