HOUSING, TOWN PLANNING, ETC., BILL. (Hansard, 24 July 1919)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

It might not be inconvenient to your Lordships if I make a general statement as to the result of the consideration which has been given by the Commons to the Amendments of your Lordships. I think that we may properly congratulate ourselves that almost all the Amendments which were principally the subject of debate here have recommended themselves to the House of Commons, so that this House has made a real contribution to the Bill. The Amendments inserted here cover ten pages of print, and the Commons have accepted these Amendments without any alteration at all except in seven cases. Your Lordships made a great number of alterations in Clause 1, all of which have been accepted by the Commons. There is an important Amendment of the Marquess of Salisbury, a new subsection, and a further Amendment by the noble Marquess. All the Amendments in Clause 7 were accepted, and some of them were very important. An important Amendment to Clause 9 was accepted, also an Amendment to Clause 14. The Amendment to Clause 16 by Lord Muir Mackenzie was agreed to, and although the Commons did not accept Lord Stanhope's Amendment to Cause 22 relating to building societies, they dealt with it in an extremely sympathetic manner and I am sure he will have no complaint. The object of the noble Lord's Amendment was largely secured, having regard to the specific promise given that the whole subject should be explored. The Commons did not accept the Amendment inserted on the motion of the noble Viscount, Lord Midleton; but it accepted Lord Downham's Amendment to Clause 23. Lord Bledisloe's Amendment in Clause 25 was accepted, and Lord Lincolnshire's Amendment extending the acreage from two to ten was also accepted. They accepted a new clause as to the land in the New Forest and Crown land in Bushey Park. Omitting several less important Amendments, the Commons accepted the Amendment of the Marquess of Salisbury to the schedule enabling the co-option of other members to serve, upon the Committees. I think I have said enough to show the very careful consideration that was given by the Commons to the matters which appeared to this House to be of considerable importance when the Bill was under consideration here.