HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1930s → 1930 → July 1930 → 28 July 1930 → Commons Sitting → LAND DRAINAGE (No. 2) BILL [Lords].

CLAUSE 33.—(Election of members and proceedings of drainage boards.)

HC Deb 28 July 1930 vol 242 cc171-2 171

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
On a point of Order. Are you not selecting Amendments on Clause 29, Mr. Speaker?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
No.

§ Mr. HASLAM
I beg to move, in page 31, line 24, after the word "objections," to insert the words "and the proper publications of such register."

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
On a point of Order. Do I understand that you are not selecting the Amendments standing in my name, Mr. Speaker?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
No, I have not selected them.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
May I ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether there will be an opportunity of discussing the composition of these new drainage boards?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
We have been discussing them for a long time.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
We have been discussing the question of the composition of the catchment boards, but the drainage boards are something quite different. The drainage boards are elected on a property basis.

172

§ Mr. SPEAKER
I fancy that there was a Committee stage on this Bill.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
That question was not raised on the Committee stage of the Bill.

§ Mr. HASLAM
My Amendment has the object of securing that these registers which are mentioned shall be open to inspection. I do not think there is any need for me to explain the proposal. It is, obviously, most important that all persons concerned shall be able to see who are the electors to a drainage board. Therefore, I propose that the registers shall be open to inspection, and I understand that the Minister agrees.

§ Sir D. NEWTON
I beg to second the Amendment.

§ Dr. ADDISON
I agree to accept this Amendment. I undertook in the Committee stage to make provision for this.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
May I point out that the whole of this Amendment, and most of this Clause, would be entirely unnecessary if the drainage board were elected like any other elected body in this country, namely, by the people as a whole instead of by selected classes of well-to-do persons? All these complications about this register and its accuracy arise from the fact that you are giving one vote to the poor man and 10 votes to the rich man. Yet this new system of electing the members of a board, which is to spend the money of the ratepayers, is introduced by a Labour Government !

§ Amendment agreed to.