§ House in Committee (according Order).
§ Clause 1 agreed to.
§ Clause 2:—
* THE EARL 0F LICHFIELDIn moving the Amendment standing in my name, I should like to say that all the Amendments which I shall propose to this Bill have been prepared with the assent of the 234 Local Government Board. When the Bill was read a second time before the Whitsuntide recess, the Local Government Board had not decided whether they could support all the provisions in the Bill or not; but I am happy to say that since then they have agreed to the provisions, and the Amendments before your Lordships this afternoon have been prepared with their approval. The result of the Amendments will be to strengthen the Bill if passed, and to facilitate future dealings between the Local Government Board and the local authorities on these subjects. The object of the first Amendment, which I am now moving, is that where a hospital is sold by an authority the Local Government Board shall satisfy themselves, before they allow the sale, that adequate hospital accommodation is going to be provided under the new arrangement, and that where a district receives money in repayment for the hospital that repayment should go against capital sums, and not be devoted to the reduction of the rates.
§
Amendment moved—
In page 2, line 2, after 'Board' to insert 'Provided that no sanction in pursuance of this section shall be given by the Local Government Board unless the Board are satisfied that adequate accommodation for hospital purposes has been or will be provided for the use of the inhabitants of the district for which the hospital to be transferred was provided; provided also that all moneys which become payable to a district council or a joint board in respect of a transfer in pursuance of this section shall be applied in such manner as the Local Government Board direct either in repayment of any loan of the district council or joint board. or for any other purpose for which capital moneys may be applied.'"—(The Earl of Lichfield.)
* LORD HARRISMy Lords, the object of the Local Government Board in suggesting this particular Amendment was to take care that the district which had transferred its hospital to the county council should have sufficient accommodation in the event of an outbreak of infectious disease subsequent to the transfer of the hospital. This clause has been agreed to by the noble Earl and the Local Government Board, as have all the others, and the Local Government Board have no objection to them.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Other Amendments made: Bill recommitted to the Standing Committee; 235 and to be printed as amended. (No. 133.)