HC Deb 27 July 1938 vol 338 cc3252-3

A fire authority shall not be entitled to require the owners or occupiers of property on which fires occur to make any payment in respect of local fire services or any fire services provided in pursuance of arrangements made under sub-section (5) of Section one of this Act or in pursuance of a scheme made under this Act, and all enactments under which fire authorities may require payments to be made by the owners or occupiers of property on which fires occur in respect of the expenses of a fire brigade in attending the fires shall cease to have effect: Provided that this section so far as it relates to the powers of fire authorities under any enactment mentioned in Part 11 of the Third Schedule to this Act or under any-enactment incorporating or applying with or without modifications Section thirty-three of the Town Police Clauses Act, 1847, to require payments in respect of the expenses of fire brigades in attending fires outside the borough or district of the authority by whom the brigade is maintained, shall not come into operation until the expiration of a period of two years from the passing of this Act.

Mr. Speaker

This Amendment raises a question of Privilege.

Mr. Lloyd

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

This Amendment is proposed in fulfilment of the understanding that, if the negotiations with the insurers and with the eight towns with powers to charge for "in-district" services, should reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion, the Government would move in another place Amendments to restore the provision in the original Bill abrogating all charges for fire brigade services on owners or occupiers of property, whether charges in respect of services rendered within a fire authority's own district or charges made when the brigades are sent outside. Under this arrangement these eight authorities will each receive 27 times the amount of their current annual receipts in respect of in-district charges, calculated on the basis of their average receipts in the last two years. The total sum required has not been precisely ascertained but it will be about £320,000. The insurance interests have undertaken to make a contribution amounting to £600,000, from which the £320,000 will be paid to the eight local authorities, leaving a sum of the order of £280,000 available for research, and for assisting the provision and equipment of regional training centres for firemen and fire brigade recruits and other purposes of general advantage to the Fire Brigade Service.

Lords Amendment agreed to.—[Special entry.]