THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)My Lords, the Motion which I beg to make to your Lordships is that it is expedient that a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament be appointed to consider the interim recommendations, dated the 22nd March, 1932, of the Gas Legislation Committee appointed by the Board of Trade, and generally the extent to which gas undertakers should be authorised to invest funds in other undertakings. The question of authorising the gas undertakings to invest in this matter arose in the first instance out of the National Fuel and Power Committee's Report, and that Report is now being considered by a, Committee appointed by the Board of Trade. There are a great, many points in that Report which the Committee have not dealt with, but they have issued an interim Report dealing with this particular matter and have attached thereto certain recommendations.
Last year, and I think in the previous year, powers were given under Private Bills to Newcastle-on-Tyne and Gates-head, and also the same powers, I think, were given in 1931 in the Gas Light and Coke Company's Act and in the Mid-Southern District Utility Act. There have been a considerable number of further applications coming forward, and it seems desirable that the matter should be considered in its various aspects by a Parliamentary Committee. The recommendation of the Departmental Committee appointed by the Board of Trade was that certain powers should be given generally to all gas undertakers, and that certain additional powers should be given to very large undertakers. Individual undertakers who should apply for powers beyond those were only to apply for them by promoting a Bill. This implied that each additional power of that kind must be considered by Parliament on its merits. It has been the practice of Parliament in the past to prohibit the manufacture of gas apparatus by statutory gas undertakings, and it desirable that any change in the law and practice should not be made without Parliamentary consideration. The change, if it is to be made, should not be made without Parliament going into the matter thoroughly 134 and for that purpose a Joint Committee seems best. I beg to move.
§ Moved to resolve, That it is expedient that a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament be appointed to consider the interim recommendations, dated the 22nd March, 1932, of the Gas Legislation Committee appointed by the Board of Trade, and generally the extent to which gas undertakers should be authorised to invest funds in other undertakings, and to report accordingly.—(The Earl of Onslow.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewith and to desire their concurrence.