HC Deb 07 February 1949 vol 461 c58

4.45 p.m.

Mr. Woodburn

I beg to move, in page 6, line 29, at the end, to insert: (5) Notwithstanding the dissolution under this Section of the special water supply districts, Section forty-five of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1894 (which provides for distinguishing in the valuation roll lands and heritages in special water supply districts and for the separate valuation of portions of undertakings within such districts) shall, during such period as may be necessary for the purposes of Subsection (3) of this Section, continue to have effect in relation to areas which formed the special districts so dissolved. (6) Where immediately before the appointed day a local water authority are entitled under any enactment or agreement to take a supply of water from any stream or other source for the purpose specified in the enactment or agreement being a purpose relating to the functions of the authority with respect to water supply, then, notwithstanding anything contained in the said enactment or agreement or in this Act, the authority shall continue to be entitled to take that supply for that purpose, so, however, that they shall not be entitled to take in any year thereafter an amount of water greater than the amount they were entitled to take in the year immediately preceding the appointed day. This is a new Subsection. The first part is merely machinery, and the necessity for this was brought to our notice by the Assessor of Public Undertakings in Scotland. This Amendment is required to guard against possible consequences of the dissolution of the special water supply districts. If a county council are unable to use their existing source of supply to supply water outside the present special districts the general effect of the Clause would thus be nullified.

Amendment agreed to.