§ Mr. CorfieldI beg to move, in page 94, line 6, after "district" to insert:
situated wholly or partly within Greater London".
§ The Deputy-Chairman (Sir Robert Grimston)With this Amendment the Committee should also discuss the new Clause "Subsidiary functions of Greater London Council" and the new Schedule also entitled "Subsidiary functions of 83 Greater London Council". There can be a Division on the new Clause if required.
§ Mr. CorfieldMay we also discuss at the same time, the following four Amendments?
§ The Deputy-ChairmanThat is in order.
§ Mr. CorfieldThese Amendments are all linked and their purpose is the same and twofold. The first purpose of the batch of Amendments is to extend the Clause by bringing within its scope provisions under which local authorities in Greater London may have functions which extend outside the area. Examples would be the functions which the G.L.C. will exercise as a main drainage authority in a sewerage area partly outside the Greater London area.
The second objective of the Amendments is to make it clear that local authority functions exercisable in the Greater London area in any of the authorities to be abolished may be transferred to any authority appearing to be appropriate. The purpose of these words is to make it clear that the various powers or functions can be transferred to the G.L.C. or to the London boroughs according to whichever is appropriate.
The hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Skeffington) will remember that we discussed in Committee at some length an Amendment which I think was either the same as or very similar to his new Clause. I hope that these Amendments will go some way to meet him, although the Government's view still is that, having put this Amendment down, these local Acts should be gone through very carefully Act by Act to see which of the provisions are suitable far transfer to the London boroughs and which to the Greater London Council, bearing in mind that the London boroughs are more in the nature of county boroughs, much more so than the metropolitan boroughs, and, therefore certain county function may equally well be applicable to the London boroughs as they would be to the L.C.C. and may not therefore be applicable to the G.L.C.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonSpeaking for myself, I think that these Amendments tidy up the original Clause. But there is one 84 point which, I feel, might have been considered. I still wonder whether Clause 84 is not defective because it still appears to refer only to Greater London and does not allow the application of enactments to the sewerage area of the Greater London Council. I think that at some stage Amendments are probably required to Clauses 69 and 80. I put that on record as a matter which might be considered.
§ Mr. CorfieldI am grateful to the hon. Member. I am advised that the Clause covers the point which he made, but I will look at it again. I am grateful to him for pointing it out.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§
Further Amendments made: In page 94, line 29, after (b) insert:
transfer to any authority appearing to that Minister to be appropriate any functions of an existing local authority under a Greater London statutory provision which are not to become functions of some other authority under any provision of this Act except section 81 and this section. or under any other instrument made under this Act, being functions exercisable by any existing local authority abolished by this Act or exercisable in, or with respect to things or persons connected with, Greater London by any other existing local authority;
(c) (without prejudice to the last foregoing paragraph)".
§
In page 95, line 46, at end insert:
(aa) conferring on an existing local authority abolished by this Act functions the exercise of which is not restricted to a part of Greater London or to things or persons connected therewith; or
§ In page 96, line 5, at end insert "or(aa)".
§
In page 96, line 8, at end add:
and 'local authority' includes a joint sewerage board within the meaning of Part II of the Public Health Act 1936".—[Mr. Corfield.]
§ Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ The Deputy-ChairmanDoes the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Skeffington) wish to take a Division on his new Clause? It has been discussed with the last series of Amendments.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonNo, Sir Robert.