CLAUSE 32.—(Provisions as to dock and harbour undertakings.) (Hansard, 23 May 1939)

§ Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 27, line 8, to leave out Sub-section (1) and to insert: (1) "If, on the application of any public utility undertakers who carry on a dock or harbour undertaking the appropriate Department so order, the preceding provisions of this Part of this Act relating to the provision of air-raid shelter for persons employed by public utility undertakers, shall apply in relation to the undertakers carrying on the undertaking as if all persons likely to be found during air-raids in the dock or harbour, or any such part thereof as may be specified in the order, were persons employed by the undertakers; and where any such order is made—

(a) the order may contain such incidental and consequential provisions as the appropriate Department thinks proper, including provisions authorising the undertakers, notwithstanding anything in any contract or in any enactment or order relating to them, to do such of the following things as may be specified in the order, that is to say—

(i) to make such increases in their charges as may be specified in the order;
(ii) to recover from such persons or classes of persons using the dock or harbour as may be specified in the order such sums as may be determined by or under the order;
(iii) to borrow such money on such terms as to security and otherwise as may be specified in the order;

(b) the provisions of Part III of this Act relating to the provision of air-raid shelter shall not apply in relation to any factories or commercial buildings situate in the dock or harbour or, as the case may be, in the part thereof specified in the order, and
(c) no grant shall be payable under Part III of this Act in respect of any expenses incurred in providing or securing the provision of air-raid shelter in the dock or harbour, or, as the case may be, in the part thereof specified in the order."

This Clause deals particularly with docks, and the Amendment is to give effect to an arrangement which is to be agreed with the dock authorities. In normal circumstances only a very small proportion of the people who are in and about the docks during the day time are in the employment of the dock authority. It was, therefore, suggested that in the case of these large docks the shelters for the employés which attract the 27½ per cent. grant should be pooled by the dock authority and the cost should be recovered pro rata from the people who share in the scheme. It is a permissive arrange- 2251 ment and the dock undertaking is able to apply to the Minister for permission to adopt it.