HC Deb 04 June 1930 vol 239 cc2343-5

Lords Amendment: In page 32, leave out lines 7 to 12, and insert: 1. A scheme for applying all or any of the provisions of this Act, either with or without adaptations and modifications, to a railway company to which this Act does not for the time being apply, being a company whose principal business is the working of a railway or of a light railway as defined in sub-section (3) of section five of the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928, may be submitted to the Minister by the railway company concerned or by the Railway Assessment Authority.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."—[Miss Lawrence.]

Mr. C. WILLIAMS

I would like to hear from the Attorney-General what the bearing of Sub-section (3) of Section 5 of the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act of 1928 is on this particular Amendment. It is a matter of some interest to me, and, if the hon. and learned Gentleman could give me some information as to its bearing, it would save me a great deal of trouble and a great deal of worry. It would assist matters, as far as I am concerned, very greatly.

Miss LAWRENCE

This Amendment has, first of all, to be read with two or three of the other Amendments which have already been passed dealing with the definition of railway companies. There are two kinds of railway companies. There are the great principal railway companies to which Clause 1 applies, and there are minor railways which come under the First Schedule. The point raised is that, unless this definition is made, we would have a number of small light railways, mineral railways, and so forth, coming under the provisions of this part of the Bill which is clearly only intended to apply to the railways that I have mentioned. We have therefore decided to adopt the definition here so that it deals with these railways.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.