HL Deb 18 November 1908 vol 196 cc1192-6

Order of the day for the Third Reading read.

Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3a."—(Lord Denman.)

On Question, Bill read 3a.

LORD DENMAN moved to amend Clause 5 (Creation and application of Irish Housing Fund) by inserting, after the word "ascertain," the words "and certify." He explained that the object of the Amendment was to oblige the Local Government Board to certify as well as to ascertain the amount annually charged for housing under the Bill.

Amendment moved— In page 3, line 26, after the word 'ascertain,' to insert the words and certify.'"—(Lord Denman.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Drafting Amendment agreed to.

LORD DENMAN moved the insertion of a new subsection to Clause 6, providing that "The provisions of this section shall extend to Orders of the Local Government Board made after the passing of this Act upon petitions of local authorities presented before the passing of this Act." He said that by this clause the existing provisions of statutes dealing with Provisional Orders were virtually repealed. It might happen that a local authority had already instituted proceedings to obtain a Provisional Order, and that by the time the Bill came into force the Provisional Order might not actually have been made. In that case the local authority would find itself hung up, so to speak, inasmuch as it would be unable to take advantage of the provisions of the statutes repealed, and also unable to avail itself of the provisions of this Bill. The insertion of the subsection was to meet that particular case.

Amendment moved— In page 5, line 37, after the word 'order,' to insert the following new subsection: '(6) The provisions of this section shall extend to Orders of the Local Government Board made after the passing of this Act upon petitions of local authorities presented before the passing of this Act.'"—(Lord Denman.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD DENMAN moved to amend Clause 11, which provided that— For the purposes of the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, Section 72 of the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, as amended by the Second Schedule to the Act of 1890, shall have effect as if 'one hundred pounds' were substituted therein for 'twenty pounds,' by inserting, before the words "Section 72," the words "Section 71 and."

Amendment moved— In page 7, line 15, after the word 'Acts,' to insert the words 'Section 71 and.'"—(Lord Denman.)

LORD ASHBOURNE

asked whether the Amendment which he proposed to move would not come before this one.

LORD DENMAN

No.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord LOREBURN)

pointed out that the noble I and learned Lord had no Amendment on the Paper, and said he had no knowledge of any Amendments to be moved except those on the Paper. It would be convenient, if there were any Amendments not on the Paper, that they should be handed to him.

LORD ATKINSON

thought Lord Denman had better also include in his Amendment Sections 69 and 70 of the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845. Under those sections, when the compensation exceeded £20 and did not exceed £200 certain things had to be done; when it did not exceed £20, that sum might be paid to the person in receipt of the rents and profits of the land for the time being and applied to his own purpose. Section 71 provided that when money paid into court exceeded £20, certain things were to be done. He took it that the object of the noble Lord in charge of the Bill was to substitute £100 for £20 in each of those sections, and to secure that when the sum did not exceed £100 the money might be paid over to the person entitled to the rents and profits of the lands in respect of which such money had been paid. The sections of the Act of 1845 would be made ridiculous if £100 was substituted for £20 in two sections only. The clause in the Bill provided that Section 72 of the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, should have effect as if £100 were substituted therein for £20; but, as a matter of fact, the words "twenty pounds" did not occur at all in Section 72. The three sections, therefore, which ought to be changed were Sections 69, 70, and 71, by substituting £100 for £20 in each case where the latter sum was mentioned.

LORD DENMAN

thanked the noble and learned Lord for calling attention to this matter. He naturally bowed to the noble and learned Lord's opinion, and as it appeared necessary to mention the two previous sections of the Act of 1845 he would, with the leave of the House, alter his Amendment so as to insert "Sections 69, 70, 71, and."

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

said Lord Atkinson had pointed out that the section mentioned in Clause 11 was erroneously mentioned, and that, instead of one, three sections should be mentioned. If that were so, there had been some blunder in the printing or some oversight, and he felt considerable difficulty as to how far this matter could be corrected at this stage, as the proposed Amendments were not upon the Paper. As he understood, his noble and learned friend had an Amendment designed to carry out the purpose which was common, he thought, to both sides of the House, but it was not on the Paper.

LORD ATKINSON

said he had, on the Paper, an Amendment to the same clause to insert this proviso— Provided that the sums paid under the provisions of Section 72 of the first-mentioned statute by any particular local authority in respect of any interest in land taken under any scheme or schemes to a person or persons not absolutely entitled to the interest purchased shall not exceed in the aggregate three hundred pounds. It would be necessary, however, to change the section in this proviso in accordance with his previous observations.

LORD ASHBOURNE

said he had not looked up the sections of the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act himself, but had no doubt that his noble and learned friend Lord Atkinson had correctly indicated the way in which the sections ran. The Amendment which he (Lord Ashbourne) sought to insert in Clause 11, and which he had handed to the Lord Chancellor, was to substitute £60 for £100. Whether this could be done after Third Reading, the Amendments now being discussed not being on the Paper, was another matter. The House was extremely jealous on this point. Great freedom was allowed in Committee and a substantial amount of freedom on Report, but he believed it was the rule of the House that no Amendment not on the Paper should be moved after Third Reading. In these circumstances, would it not be better to let the matter stand over till another day, when the Amendments could be placed on the Paper and inserted in a regular form?

LORD DENMAN

expressed willingness to adopt the course which the noble and learned Lord had suggested.

Moved, "That the debate on the Amendment be adjourned."—(Lord Denman).

On Question, Motion agreed to.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

asked whether, the debate on the Amendment to Clause 11 having been adjourned, the House would take the other Amendment on the Paper in the name of Lord Donoughmore.

THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE

was proceeding to move the insertion, after Clause 17, of a new clause providing that the Bill should not apply to any town, the population of which at the last census was less than 2,000, when—

* THE EARL OF CREWE

I am reluctant to interfere, but my impression is that the course which has been suggested is a very unusual one. I cannot recall any precedent for adjourning the consideration of a particular clause and immediately taking another. It is sometimes moved that a particular clause be taken last. I fancy that course might have been taken, but I have never known it done except in Committee.

* THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

Would not the simpler and more obvious course be to adjourn the discussion altogether?

Further debate adjourned till Tomorrow.