HC Deb 21 May 1954 vol 527 cc2492-3

Lords Amendment: In page 13, line 16, at end insert: (2) This Act shall apply to the Isles of Scilly as if the Isles were a county and as if the council of the Isles were a county council.

Lady Tweedsmuir

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

It is, of course, a fact that the Bill covers the Scilly Isles, but the effect of this Amendment is to give the council of the Scilly Isles the functions of a county council in the Isles. The council of the Scilly Isles has no power under the Bill as it stands, although, as I have said, the Bill does cover the Scilly Isles. The Council is unique. It does not possess all the powers of an ordinary local authority, but only those expressly conferred on it by statute or order under the Local Government Act, 1933. The council has been given the functions of a county council under the existing Wild Birds Protection Acts by such an order—the Isles of Scilly Order, 1937. It has expressed a wish to have the same functions under this Bill, and it seems appropriate that it should have them.

Question put, and agreed to.