Lords Sitting of 12 May 1921

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
COLNE CORPORATION BILL.
Read 2ª.
HARROGATE GAS BILL.
Read 2ª.
LEICESTER CORPORATION BILL.
Read 2ª.
PUBLIC HEALTH (TUBERCULOSIS) BILL.
Message from the Commons, That they have agreed to the Amendments made by the Lords without amendment.
PILOTAGE PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL.
Amendment reported (according to Order).

MR. SPEAKER'S RETIREMENT BILL.
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD): My Lords, your Lordships are familiar with the nature of this Bill, which has passed through the other House, and to which your assent is now desired. The operative clause is the first, which provides that the late Speaker shall receive an annuity of £4,000 during his natural life. On general grounds I have no doubt that many of your Lordships, who served under the Speakership of Mr. Lowther in the House of Commons, will agree with me in saying that this is a Bill which will receive public assent generally. I shall move the Second Reading of the Bill, and then ask your Lordships to take it through the rest of its stages to-day.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2ª.—(The Earl of Crawford.)
On Question, Bill read 2ª.
Move, That Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered in order to its being dispensed with.— (The Earl of Crawford.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended): Committee negatived: Bill read 3ª, and passed.

DISTRICT COUNCILS' HOUSING SCHEMES.
LORD ABINGER LORD ABINGER had given Notice to ask His Majesty's Government if it is the fact that district councils supervise building operations within their districts under the housing scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Health, and enter into or arrange contracts for the building of such houses; and whether it is considered correct for an assistant overseer who collects rates on behalf of the district council in a parish within their district to be given a contract to build houses for the use of that parish; if this is contrary to the spirit of the Local Government Acts, will the Ministry of Health cause all such irregularities to cease?
The noble Lord said: My Lords, in asking His Majesty's Government the Question which stands in my name I may say that the specific case on which the Question arose created a certain amount of complication, and as there may be many other cases of a similar nature perhaps the Government will look into the matter and prevent district councils from causing similar complications in the future. In this particular instance the assistant overseer took a contract for building houses in a parish within the area of the district council. Of course, he is also collector of rates for the district council, but, nevertheless, he may be appointed by the parish council, although he is a beneficiary from money received from the district council.
District councils are rather autocratic bodies and do not always consult the parish councils. The council proceeded in this case to build houses. In the meantime the parish council obtained the ground in front of the houses for the benefit of the public, and naturally the parishioners were very much annoyed when they saw a man coming along and making a road across their green. As this man was the assistant overseer and also the contractor, they addressed their complaint through the parish council. There again,

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the matter is a little complicated, because the person through whom they represent their complaint is the parish clerk, who is alto the assistant overseer and the contractor, and so this unfortunate man is in the position of reporting on his own delinquencies. As this seems a little contrary to the spirit of the Local Government Acts, I ask the Government to be so good as to look into the matter, to warn district councils, and prevent such cases arising in the future.
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH (THE EARL OF ONSLOW): My Lords, the noble Lord has somewhat amplified his Question in the speech which lie has just addressed to the House, but as the Question stands I will take it part by part. As regards the first part, district Councils are empowered. under the Housing Act to enter into contracts for the erection of houses for the working classes. As regards the second part, as a rule the assistant overseer is not an officer of the district council. The noble Lord has been good enough to give further information as to the particular case which he had in his mind, and I should be very glad indeed to go into it. Perhaps it will be more convenient if he will give it me in writing, and I shall be very happy to have the matter examined, and then let him have a full reply with regard to the particular case.
LORD ABINGER: I beg to thank the noble Earl.

CRIMINAL LAW AMENDMENT BILL. [H.L.]
THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON: My Lords, I wish to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to grant facilities for the passing of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill this session. I do so for two reasons. I have thought it necessary to wait until the last day before the holidays, hoping that some announcement might be made, because, although many private members of the other House wished to raise the matter, I did not want them to take action if the Government were going to do so. Then the provisions of this Bill have already passed through Second Reading three times in this House, and finally without a Division. I made two or three important concessions
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in order that it might be an agreed Bill. Therefore, I hope that as an agreed Bill the Government will give it facilities in another place.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORD: My Lords, so far as the Government are concerned the value of the Bill to which the right rev. Prelate refers is clearly and readily acknowledged. As the right rev. Prelate has stated, it has passed through this House with very little opposition, and finally, after certain concessions had been made, it may be said to have been accepted by your Lordships as an agreed measure. I am afraid that that does not quite dispose of the problem, because what has proved non-controversial in this House may perhaps become controversial elsewhere; but if the Bill should continue to maintain its non-controversial aspect elsewhere, the Government will gladly do its best, at a later stage in the session, to make an effort to pass it into law. At present, as Mr. Chamberlain, the Leader of the House of Commons, stated the other day, no very definite indication can be given owing to the fact that there is a considerably pressure on the time of the House of Commons, but if the right rev. Prelate can make certain that the Bill will be non-controversial, so far as I am concerned I hope there is very good reason for thinking that the Government may be able to give it facilities.
THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON: I am obliged to the noble Earl.

THE WHITSUNTIDE RECESS.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORD: My Lords, a Royal Commission will take place at five o'clock, after which the adjournment for the Whitsuntide recess will be moved. That Motion will provide that in the case of the Lord Chancellor being satisfied that there is any serious emergency he carries the possibility of summoning your Lordships in anticipation of the date to which the House stands adjourned.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

ROYAL COMMISSION.
The following Bills received the Royal Assent—

Treaty of Peace (Hungary).

Forth Conservancy Order Confirmation.

North British Railway Order Confirmation.

Pilotage Provisional Orders (No. 1).

Oxford Motor Services.

Ionian Bank.

Portsmouth Water.

Mr. Speaker's Retirement.

Public Health (Tuberculosis).

Bristol Water.

THE WHITSUNTIDE RECESS.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (EARL CURZON OF KEDLESTON): My Lords, I beg to make
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the Motion which was referred to earlier this afternoon by the noble Earl the First Commissioner of Works.
Moved, That this House on its adjournment to-day do adjourn to May 24, except that if it appears to the satisfaction of the Lord Chancellor that the public interest requires that the House should meet at any earlier time during such adjournment, the Lord Chancellor may give notice to the Peers that he is so satisfied, and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such Notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time.—(Earl Curzon of Kedleston.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned at a quarter past five o'clock until Tuesday, May 24, at a quarter past four o'clock.