HL Deb 15 December 1919 vol 38 cc89-91

Order of the Day for the House to be put in Committee, read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Earl of Lytton.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[The EARL OF DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.]

Clause 1:

Confirmation of the terms of agreement.

1. The provisions of the above-recited agreement which are set out in the Schedule to this Act are hereby confirmed, and shall have full force and effect, as from the date of the said agreement, as if enacted in this Act, and any payments under the said agreement and before the passing of this Act which are inconsistent with the terms of the said provisions shall be adjusted so as to give effect to those terms.

LORD KILLANIN had the following Amendment upon the Paper— Clause 1, page 1, after line 20, insert: ("Provided nevertheless that in the case of a company having the benefit of a baronial guarantee subject to the provisions of the Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act, 1883, whose line is leased to or worked by another company at a percentage of gross receipts, nothing in this Act contained shall render the guaranteeing authority liable in respect of such guarantee except as provided by the said Act and to an amount ascertained and determined in accordance with the provisions thereof").

The noble Lord said: I should like to have moved this Amendment and to have had it accepted by the Government, but I gather from my noble friend who is in charge of the Bill that there is no chance of the Government accepting it. In these circumstances it would be futile for me to attempt to press it. I put down this Amendment for two reasons. First, because I believe that unless some such arrangements were made in this Bill a distinct and serious injustice would be done to a number of ratepayers in the county of Galway, where I am a member of the County Council; and, second, because I consider that it only carries out the wishes of the Government as expressed by the noble Earl when moving the Second Reading of the Bill. I now understand from the noble Earl that he considers it impossible to accept my Amendment. The noble Earl, however, in moving the Second Reading confirmed an invitation which the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Transport had given in the other House to county councils and local authorities in Ireland to go to the Transport Ministry and represent any hardships they thought might occur under the Bill as it is; and he asked me to assist in that. Since then I have done all I could to bring about a settlement. I communicated with the Galway County Council and the Financial Secretary of the County Council came over. We have had a number of interviews with the Ministry of Transport on the matter, and I hope and believe that we shall come to a satisfactory arrangement. The noble Earl will understand, however, that the arrangement is not finally settled; and in case it might not prove satisfactory to all parties I reserve my right to move this Amendment on the Third Reading of the Bill. I should like to say that my noble friend Lord Oranmore who is interested in his own county had intended to be present this evening and to move a similar Amendment to mine, but he has had to leave the House. He wished me to say that he will abide by such arrangements as the Galway County Council come to.

THE EARL OF LYTTON

I am obliged to my noble friend for not pressing this Amendment. It is true, as he says, that negotiations have taken place between those who are interested in the subject matter of this Amendment and the Ministry of Transport; and, although complete agreement has not yet been reached, I have every reason to hope and believe that before the next stage is reached complete agreement may be arrived at. In these circumstances I think my noble friend is quite right not to move his Amendment at this stage.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Remaining clause agreed to.