CLAUSE 33.—(MINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS.) (Hansard, 7 February 1949)

§ Mr. T. Fraser

I beg to move, in page 22, line 7, at the end, to insert: and as if after the words 'such annual sum,'" there were inserted the words "not being less than fifteen shillings. This Amendment and the previous Amendment go together. Their effect is to add to Section 77, Subsection (3) of the 1946 Act provision that the water charge shall not be less than 15s. Under Clause 2 of this Bill smallholders are exempt from the domestic water rate, and the local water authority will, as the result of this Amendment, be assured of the payment of at least 15s. for every smallholder for each dwelling house that is supplied. We had some considerable discussion on this question during the Second Reading and the Committee stage, and this Amendment is one that is in accord with the wishes of the local authorities' association.

Mr. Fraser

I beg to move, in page 22, line 43, at the end to insert: (12) Subsection (2) of Section eighty-eight of the principal Act shall have effect as if for the words 'the limits of supply' there were substituted the words the district.' The attention of my right hon. Friend has been drawn to the fact that under Subsection (2) of Section 88 of the 1946 Act the local water authority would not be able to secure the amendment of the local Act relating to the supply of water by another authority to premises in their district when the premises concerned were within their limits of supply, and these words we find are unduly restrictive. I will give an example. The Aberdeen Town Council at present are authorised by their local Act to supply water in Aberdeen county and if Aberdeen county on some future date should be able to take over the supply for that part of the county themselves, they would not be able to secure the repeal of the relevant provisions in the local Act of the Aberdeen Town Council because the premises concerned, although in the district of the county, would be within the limits supplied by the town council. This Amendment puts the matter right.