SECOND READING. (Hansard, 14 June 1892)

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, the object of this Bill is to clear up certain doubts as to the effect of the Housing of Working Classes (Scotland) Act. That Act repeals the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement (Scotland) Act, 1875, under which in certain burghs in Scotland Provisional Orders have been obtained and schemes entered into; but in consequence of the repeal of that Act those burghs have had the greatest difficulties, because certain undertakings had been entered into by the Local Authority in the burgh, and by the repeal of that Act those schemes have been hung up, and cannot be safely continued unless that difficulty is removed. That object will be effected by the second clause in the Bill. There is another clause which has been inserted to alter the definition of an 1028 Urban Sanitary Authority as defined by the Act of 1890 so far as regards Scotland. Under Section 96, Sub-section 2, of that Act, it is provided that the assessment of any improvement scheme should be levied only within the parish or parishes in respect of which such expenses are incurred. That provision is appropriate enough in rural districts, but in burghs where there are more than one parish it introduces a novel and undesirable system of rating which it is intended to remove by this clause, the effect of which will be to put the assessment on the whole burgh, and not on the individual parish. I think with that explanation I may ask your Lordships to give the Bill a Second Reading.