§ On the Order for the Second Reading of the Parish Fire-Engines Bill,
LORD HARRISThis is a small, but I think a very useful, Measure, which enables parishes to make arrangements with neighbouring local authorities for the use of fire-engines which they themselves are not provided with. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1867, and the Lighting and Watching Act, 1833, parish councils may, where those Acts apply, provide themselves with a fire-engine, but they have not the power under those Acts to make arrangements with the neighbouring local authorities who have got a fire-engine to borrow it—an arrangement which might be useful to some particular parish, and cases have arisen where a local authority, having a fire-engine, has not permitted it to be used in some neighbouring parish where it was wanted urgently and in which there was no fire-engine This Bill removes that difficulty, and I think there can be no doubt whatever that it should be extremely useful that parishes should have this power. Then under the Town Police Clauses Act, 1847, where a fire-engine is sent for the use of a householder or a landowner in a neighbouring parish, the person to whom it is sent may be debited with the cost of the service so rendered. It is thought that it would be hardly fair 1294 that that provision should apply in the case of a parish which has made arrangements for the use of a neighbouring fire-engine; and therefore the second clause of the Bill exempts the householder or the landowner from the risk of the cost being laid upon him. I hope your Lordships will give this very useful little Bill a Second Reading.
Bill read a second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.