§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ VISCOUNT SNOWDENMy Lords, this is another familiar measure. It also appears with unfailing regularity every year and your Lordships are perfectly aware of its purpose. It is to enable the 694 Public Works Loans Commissioners to continue to make comparatively small grants to the poorer local authorities who are not able to raise loans in the market. The Bill is an annual Bill in order to protect the rights of Parliament to regulate the amount of the expenditure, or rather the amount of loans that can be sanctioned by the Public Works Loans Commissioners. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.— (Viscount Snowden.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.