§ Message from the Commons: That they agree to certain Amendments made by the Lords to the Housing (Financial Provisions) Bill without amendment; that they agree to one Amendment with an Amendment and have made consequential Amendments to the Bill; and that they disagree to certain other Amendments for which they assign Reasons.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR:My Lords, I beg to move that the Message from the Commons be now considered.
§ Moved, That the Commons Amendments and Reasons be now considered.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY:My Lords, perhaps the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack would describe to your Lordships what is the effect of these Amendments.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR:The Commons have agreed to a considerable majority of the Amendments made by your Lordships, but there are two or three which they regard as vital. I will deal with these as I come to them; I think it would be the most convenient course that I should take them seriatim.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR:My Lords, it will perhaps be best if I refer to the Amendments which your Lordships made. The first was on page 2 of the Bill, to leave out from the beginning of line 24 to the end of line 39. The Commons agree to your Lordships' Amend- 471 ment. Then on page 3, line 32, your Lordships inserted a proviso which is on the marshalled list of Amendments. That also the Commons agree to. Then we come to page 4 where, in line 21, this House inserted, " the Common Council of the City of London or by ": That the Commons agree to.
Then, I come to another Amendment on page 5, line 5, where your Lordships, after "tenants," inserted the words " who are members of the working classes and." With that Amendment the Commons are unable to agree for this Reason: " Because the words might be interpreted as excluding classes of persons such as poorly paid clerks and people of that type, and would therefore prevent such persons from becoming tenants of the houses." We think that such persons as the more poorly paid clerks should not be excluded from becoming tenants of these houses in considerable numbers, and I ask your Lordships not to insist upon this Amendment, and I move that the Lords do not insist upon the said Amendment.