§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT (VISCOUNT PEEL)My Lords, I do not think that at the present moment I need go very fully into the details of this Bill. The object of the Bill is to secure more effective organisation of the work in connection with pensions, and to bring the local authorities 194 more under the control of the central authority. They were set up in order mainly to deal with voluntary subscriptions, but those voluntary subscriptions did not come in in very large quantities, and at the present moment the committees are really administering entirely public funds. It is, therefore, necessary for their organisation to be somewhat altered, in order that the public funds may be properly administered by these committees. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Viscount Peel.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.