POST OFFICE (SITES) BILL. (Hansard, 8 July 1926)

§ THE EARL OF LUCAN
My Lords, the Bill to which I am asking your Lordships to give a Second Reading is promoted by the Post Office with the object of empowering them to acquire lands and erect buildings in three different Boroughs—Blackpool, Swansea and Doncaster. The reason why the Post Office wishes to obtain these powers is that these boroughs have developed so much of late and show such signs of developing still further in the future that the powers are necessary to enable the Post Office to increase the postal and telephone facilities in those places. At this late hour and with other business still awaiting your Lordships' attention I will not go into the details of the measure, but if any noble Lord desires further information I have full particulars as to how these powers are going to be used and I shall be happy to 961 tell him what I can. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

§ LORD ARNOLD
My Lords, I should be obliged to the noble Earl who moved the Second Reading of this Bill if he would make a somewhat fuller statement and give us some idea, if he can, of the amounts which are likely to be involved in compensation under this Bill.

EARL RUSSELL
My Lords, I should like to call the attention of the noble Earl who moved the Second Reading of this Bill to Clause 3, which provides that there shall be no extra allowance for any improvement or alteration made after November 20, 1925. Was this Bill deposited as a Private Bill with plans and notices of the property proposed to be acquired, or what is the reason for that particular date? Otherwise, the date seems now to be rather far back.

§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
That is a Committee point, surely.

EARL RUSSELL
It is hardly a Committee point, is it? I want to know the reason for that date at this stage.

§ LORD ARNOLD
I am sorry to intervene again, but might I ask the noble Earl for a reply I Mine certainly was not a Committee point but a point of great principle.

§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
My Lords, this Bill has been to the Examiners and has followed the usual course of a hybrid Bill. I think noble Lords may be quite satisfied that there is nothing irregular about it. If the noble Earl wishes to ask a special question as to the reason for the appearance of this particular date in the Bill I will see that the information is given him at the next stage of the Bill.

EARL RUSSELL
It started as a Private Bill, I suppose.

§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
Yes, it is a hybrid Bill.

§ THE EARL OF LUCAN
My Lords, among the particulars with which I have been furnished there is nothing as to the amount of compensation. I understand, 962 however, that all Petitions in opposition to the Bill—and I believe it was opposed in its passage through another place—have been withdrawn and that agreements have been arrived at between the Post Office and all those who opposed it. I understand that there is now no opposition and that the Bill will probably be referred to the Committee on Unopposed Bills; otherwise it would go to a Select Committee of your Lordships House.

§ LORD ARNOLD
My Lords, that is not the point. I want to know what sums are involved, and that is the question which I put. I am sorry the noble Earl is not able to give us any information on that head. It seems to me to be very germane to the subject.

§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOOD)
My Lords, I do not know the exact procedure but this Bill follows, in fact, the course of a Private Bill. In another part of my life I have opposed Bills of this kind. They come before a Private Bill Committee in the ordinary way, and the question of cost is never discussed there because it evidently would be very prejudicial to the subsequent procedure if there was any discussion as to what amount of money the Government were likely to have to give for sites which they were trying to purchase. I am sure we should be happy to give any information we could, but it would evidently be very difficult to furnish any kind of sum without giving an indication to the parties from whom we are going to buy land what amount we are going to give for it.

§ LORD BANBURY OF SOUTHAM
My Lords, I was Chairman of the Estimates Committee in another place, and it was my experience that the Post Office was extremely extravagant. On a great many occasions I have objected to Post Office Sites Rills because the Post Office generally gave a great deal too much in compensation and spent a great deal too much on buildings. Therefore, I hope that later on we shall have some explanation which will assure us that the money will be spent with some regard for the taxpayer.