§ Lords Amendment: In line 3o, leave out "shall be entitled to require," and insert, "may request the permission of."
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."—[Mr. J. Edwards.]
§ Mr. ChallenI want to make a few observations on the various Amendments which follow from line 30 on page 41 to line 28 on page 42. We on this side of the House are very glad to see these Amendments introduced now, coming, though they do from another place. In earlier stages we introduced Amendments which would have served the same purpose as these Amendments which have been accepted by the Government. The effect of them is to regulate the right of a valuation officer to commandeer premises for a local authority, to set up negotiating machinery, and to make more reasonable provision. I am glad that the Government, at this late stage, has seen fit to accept the provisions which we put before the Committee.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI wish to echo the views of my hon. Friend. It is indeed a welcome change to find the voluntary principle being applied in place of the compulsive principle in regard to accommodation. I should like to be able conscientiously to congratulate the right hon. Gentleman upon it, but I do feel, as I am sure other hon. Members on this side feel, that nothing except exigencies of time would have moved the Government enough to accept a principle which they denied us when we put it forward with equal reason and force at an earlier stage of the Bill.